Flood defences across the UK prevent £1.15 billion in flood-related damage to residential properties each year, according to new research commissioned by Flood Re, a joint initiative between the UK government and the insurance industry. 
The analysis, conducted by flood risk modelling firm Fathom, highlights the role of flood protection infrastructure in reducing financial losses for households.
The study focuses exclusively on residential properties, but the total savings would exceed £2 billion annually if damage to businesses, industrial sites, and agricultural properties were included, along with costs such as temporary accommodation.
Floor Re notes that with one in four UK properties at risk of flooding, maintaining and improving flood defences remains a priority.
The government’s efforts to bolster resilience across flood-prone communities also extend to efforts to further bolster Property Flood Resilience (PFR) and support Build Back Better (BBB) initiatives, backed and supported by numerous insurance brokers.
In December, nearly 800 brokers from across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland participated in discussions at the British Insurance Brokers’ Association’s (BIBA) Tour of the Regions, where interest in reducing flood risks and improving resilience was a central theme.
Without current levels of flood protection, annual losses to households would be 2.8 times higher, the research found. Recent extreme weather events, including storms Babet, Ciaran, and Debi, have contributed to £570 million in insurance payouts.
Six of the UK’s wettest years on record have occurred since 1998, underscoring the growing challenge posed by climate-related flooding.
The analysis projects that the number of properties vulnerable to river and coastal flooding will increase by 27% by 2069, rising from 2.4 million to 3.1 million.
Dermot Kehoe (pictured top right), director of communications and transition at Flood Re, said the UK requires long-term flood defence investment of at least £1 billion annually to mitigate future risks.
“Flood Re remains committed to working with Government, insurers and communities to drive forward flood resilience,” Kehoe said. “By prioritising resilience alongside protection, we can build a future where homes, businesses and local economies are not just defended against flooding, but prepared to withstand and recover from it.”
Flood Re said that it continues to work with government, insurers, and local communities to strengthen flood resilience, he said, adding that prioritising resilience alongside protection will help ensure that properties and local economies can better withstand and recover from flooding.
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