New pioneering certificates to help homeowners cut flood risk
The UK Government and Flood Re will pilot Flood Performance Certificates to provide homeowners with clear, standardised flood risk assessments and resilience guidance, aiming to reduce flood impacts and improve insurance affordability.
The Government and Flood Re have announced plans to introduce Flood Performance Certificates (FPCs) for homeowners in England, designed to offer a clear, standardised assessment of a property’s flood risk and resilience. These certificates will draw on existing flood risk data to categorise exposure, characteristics, and resistance, providing homeowners with actionable insights. The initiative aims to mirror the role of Energy Performance Certificates by offering trusted information to guide resilience improvements. Pilots will begin in 2026 in flood-risk areas, with further expansion planned through 2027 and beyond.
FPCs will include a ‘Flood Performance Rating’ to break down risk into measurable categories, helping homeowners understand vulnerabilities and prioritise practical measures such as self-closing air bricks or flood barriers. The certificates will also highlight where additional resilience actions are needed, supporting a shift toward climate-resilient communities. Flood Re’s ambition includes integrating app-based self-assessments to make flood risk understanding routine and actionable. The goal is to encourage investment in resilience while ensuring insurers recognise these improvements in their assessments.
The Government and Flood Re emphasise that improving flood resilience is critical for households, insurers, developers, and lenders, particularly as newer homes may not qualify for Flood Re coverage. The pilots will test how resilience information can be communicated and recognised across the housing market, with the potential to influence insurance affordability and availability. The certificates aim to provide consistent, comparable data to support informed decision-making by homeowners and financial institutions.
Flood Action Week, running from 12 to 18 October, coincides with the announcement, urging the public to prepare for flooding by checking risk, creating a flood plan, and signing up for warnings. The Environment Agency maintains significant flood defence resources, including 260 mobile pumps and 25 kilometres of temporary barriers, to respond to flood events. The Government highlights that by 2050, a quarter of homes are likely to face flood risk, underscoring the urgency of resilience measures.