New Flood Performance Certificates (FPCs) will be piloted to provide clear, standardised information on flood risk and resilience, alongside new national platform for flood resources.
The plans by the government and Flood Re, aim for FPCs to be a trusted source of information, similar to Energy Performance Certificates.
They will pilot approaches such as a ‘Flood Performance Rating’, which breaks down a property’s flood risk into categories including exposure, characteristics and resistance drawing on flood risk information already available through the ‘Check Your Flood Risk’ service, covering rivers and surface water amongst other risks.
The FPCs have been revealed as Flood Re announced plans to develop ‘BeFloodReady’ into a national platform for flood resilience, serving as an online resource for flood resilience information, support, research and innovation.
Launching in April 2027 at Flood Re’s Preparing Today. Protecting Tomorrow conference, Flood Re says BeFloodReady long-term plans include supporting the development of FPCs, expanding building resilience skills and bringing together Property Flood Resilience providers with research, innovation and evidence across the flood resilience sector.
Floods minister Emma Hardy said: “Flooding is devastating for families and communities, and we need all households to know about their own flood risk and what can be done to reduce it.
“With our new Flood Performance Certificates, we are starting to give people the opportunity to access clear, trusted information in one place about the flood risk their home faces, so they can take steps to become even more resilient.
“This Flood Action Week, the government is going further to protect communities and business while also providing the public the tools to check their flood risk, prepare a flood plan, and sign up for flood warnings to protect their home and family.”
Perry Thomas, CEO of Flood Re, said: “Flood Performance Certificates are about turning awareness into action. By helping people understand how resilient their home is, we can encourage greater investment in resilience and reduce the impact of flooding on homes across the UK.
“We’ll begin piloting FPCs in 2026, with a focus on what helps householders to understand their risk and take action. Over time, we want resilience improvements to be recognised and rewarded, helping create a future where access to affordable insurance increasingly reflects the actions people take to protect their homes.”
Kelly Ostler-Coyle, director of corporate affairs at Flood Re, continues commenting: “BeFloodReady exists to make flood resilience easier to understand, easier to access and easier to act on. It’s about creating awareness and turning it into action. Our ambition is to create a trusted place where people can find practical guidance, expert support and clear information before, during and after flooding.
“By bringing together organisations from across the resilience community, we can help more people take simple steps that reduce damage, speed up recovery and build greater confidence for the future.”
The pilot of FPCs comes during Flood Action Week with a newly created flood and drought resilience taskforce tasked with assessing the nation’s preparedness for potential flooding this winter
The taskforce includes Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Emma Hardy, together with representatives from more than 50 organisations, including the Environment Agency, Met Office, Mayoral authorities, the Fire and Rescue Services, and the farming, water and insurance industry.
The taskforce will complement the work of the National Drought Group and DEFRA says it wants communities affected by drought and flooding to be central to the development of new policy, through direct engagement.
Hardy said: “We’re facing extreme weather, with flood and drought intertwined, but the government is taking decisive action.
“We’re taking a smarter, more joined-up approach to manage the nation’s water and set up our new Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce. This will put communities and businesses at the heart of our work and will make sure the UK is ready for whatever the weather brings next.
“We are also backing that ambition with historic investment, including £4.2bn for existing and new flood defences that will protect even more people in the years ahead.”
The government has also announced the creation of Flood Action Online, a “one-stop-shop” which brings together clear, actionable guidance on the risk of flooding and get flood warnings, including flood warnings from the Environment Agency.
