The Association of British Insurers (ABI) expects about 350,000 to benefit from Flood Re, but below are five top tips for homeowners to consider:

1) Work out if Flood Re is relevant to you

Whether you benefit will depend on if you live in a flood risk area, and even then it will depend on how much you pay for the flooding part of your home insurance. A lot of people who live in a high flood risk area will already be aware of it, but there are also online flood risk maps available for England, Wales and Scotland, and your insurer or insurance broker will be able to tell you if your property is judged at risk.

2) Speak to your current insurer

It’s always worth making sure you understand what your current insurance policy covers and how much you’re paying for it, and you might want to ask your insurer if they think they will be able to offer you more options after 4 April. Some insurers will be contacting customers directly to tell them about how Flood Re could make a difference to them.

3) Shop around to see what else is available

It’s always a good idea to shop around for insurance products to make sure you have the policy that best suits your needs – remember not to focus purely on price but look at the cover offered too.  Over time, Flood Re should mean that people with properties at risk of flooding have greater choice. Comparison websites generally suit people with standard needs so finding cover for a flood risk property may be best done by dealing with an insurer or insurance broker (a list can be found on the ABI site).

4) Don’t feel pressured to do anything in a hurry

There’s no rush to take action now or even on 4 April. If your policy isn’t due for renewal yet, you may find an even greater choice of cover when you are ready to renew in a few months’ time.

5) Consider how else you can protect your home from flooding risk

Managing flood risk isn’t just about having the right insurance in place. If your home is in a high flood risk area there may be steps you can take to reduce the risk of water getting into your home, or to make it easier to repair if it does flood.

Huw Evans, ABI director general, said: “Being flooded is devastating, not only because of the immediate damage which is caused to homes and belongings, but because fully drying out, repairing and restoring a flooded property can take months or even years.

“It is important as many people as possible have access to home insurance so they can get the money and expertise they will need if the worst happens. April 4^th marks the start of a process which will re-energise the home insurance market in flood prone areas and help ensure as many people as possible have access to effective, affordable cover for their properties.”