A standardised data collection template for Flood Performance Certificates (FPCs) has been established in research commissioned by Flood Re, the UK government-backed flood reinsurance scheme. The work was conducted by RAB Consultants, a flood risk specialist, in collaboration with claims services provider Sedgwick. The template sets out what property-level data is needed to generate a consistent measurement of a home's flood performance.
FPCs will give property owners a structured assessment of their home's flood risk, analogous to Energy Performance Certificates for energy efficiency. They combine three types of data: property characteristics, flood hazard, and existing flood resilience measures in place. The framework uses three tiers: basic self-assessment for householders, a desktop review for complex cases and a detailed evaluation for recently flooded properties.
The FPC framework will be piloted by the end of 2026, with integration into discounted premium structures targeted for 2028. More widespread deployment is planned in subsequent years, ahead of Flood Re's scheduled exit from the insurance market in 2039. From that point, flood insurance will return to fully risk-based pricing.
FPCs are intended to give insurers property-level evidence to differentiate between properties at pricing and recognise and credit property flood resilience (PFR) measures already installed. The mechanism is designed to create financial incentives for adaptation investment and support a market that prices flood risk more accurately. Flood Re describes FPCs as a prerequisite for the transition to risk-reflective pricing without losing the affordability gains achieved since 2016.
Jonathan Kassian, head of flood resilience at Flood Re, said the data collection framework brings the scheme close to the end of its standardisation phase. "With the release of this data collection framework, we are nearing the completion of the standardisation phase of our FPC roadmap, and will start the pilot phase by the end of this year," Kassian said.
Russell Burton, managing director of RAB Consultants, said the research aims to shift the market towards rewarding flood resilience investments rather than simply documenting risk. A consistent data collection standard across properties is necessary before the pilot phase can proceed. The FPC approach, Burton said, has potential to strengthen confidence in the Build Back Better initiative and support a more resilient UK housing stock.
Approximately 6.3 million properties in England are in areas at risk of flooding, a figure Flood Re estimates could rise to eight million by 2050. The scheme estimates that wider adoption of PFR measures could reduce annual flood losses by up to £740 million. Build Back Better, which allows homeowners to claim up to £10,000 for resilience improvements post-flood, has been adopted in about one third of eligible cases.
Flood Re, which launched in April 2016, is a government-backed reinsurance scheme under which insurers cede flood risk at rates linked to council tax bands. Around 500,000 homes have benefited since launch, and four in five previously flood-affected properties have seen premiums cut by more than 50%. Some 98% of UK homes at flood risk can now access quotes from more than five insurers backed by the scheme.
