A group of insurers working through the ABI is to begin a drive to raise consumers' awareness of resilient repairs following flood claims.
Resilient repairs include replacing timber floors with concrete and tiles, replacing chipboard with plastic equivalents or moving sockets to higher wall positions.
Although policyholders may have to pay towards the costs of such repairs, their insurance premiums may fall as a result.
John Wickham, head of property claims for Norwich Union, said: "[The repairs] may not cost more, but even if they did, ultimately this could lead to a reduced flood excess or even lower premiums."
He explained that insurers could not contribute substantially towards "betterment", but could advise policyholders on using the latest techniques to repair flood damage and hire approved tradespeople.
The ABI is soon to produce a new consumer leaflet giving more information on resilient repairs. The leaflet will be overseen by Dr Sebastian Catovsky, its policy adviser on natural perils.
