We have proudly provided research that will help shape the introduction of Flood Performance Certificates (FPCs) which aim to give homeowners a clearer understanding of their property’s ability to withstand flooding.
Commissioned by Flood Re and delivered in partnership with claims management and risk solutions specialist Sedgwick, the project has established a consistent way of collecting and recording property-level flood risk and resilience information.
Without a consistent way of collecting this data, it would be difficult to compare properties or create a reliable certification scheme. This is where we came in. Our research addresses this challenge by creating a common approach that can be used across the sector, helping ensure future assessments are reliable, comparable and meaningful.
How The Research Supports FPCs
Similar in concept to the already existing Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), FPCs are designed to provide homeowners with an assessment of their property’s flood resilience. They are expected to support greater investment in Property Flood Resilience (PFR) measures and encourage the use of ‘Build Back Better’ initiatives when homes are repaired following flooding incidents.
Our research identifies the key information needed to assess a property’s resilience, bringing together details about the property itself, existing resilience measures and the potential flood hazard it faces.
It also sets out a more flexible approach to assessments, allowing straightforward properties to be reviewed using information provided by homeowners themselves, while more complex cases can be supported through desktop assessments or detailed surveys.
Research Highlights
At a glance, our research establishes:
- The core data needed to assess property flood resilience, including property characteristics, existing resilience measures and flood hazard information.
- A consistent approach to collecting and recording information, helping improve data quality, reliability and comparability across the sector.
- A foundation for trusted FPCs, supporting homeowners, insurers and lenders in understanding and recognising flood resilience.
By creating a shared approach to measuring resilience, the research provides the basis for future FPCs and moves the conversation beyond simply understanding flood risk towards recognising the steps property owners can take to reduce its impact.
Why This All Matters
On RAB’s involvement and the future of FPCs, Russell Burton, founder of RAB Consultants, said: “Our research has shown that Flood Performance Certificates have the potential to transform how we recognise and reward flood resilience at property level.”
“By setting out a consistent way to capture property-level flood risk and resilience information, we can help move the conversation from simply understanding flood risk to actively recognising and rewarding the steps people take to reduce it.
“That has the potential to support greater uptake of property flood resilience measures, strengthen confidence in Build Back Better and help create a more resilient housing market as flood insurance moves towards risk-based pricing.”
So, What Next?
Flood Re plans to pilot the FPCs before the end of 2026, with a longer-term ambition of making them part of the UK’s flood insurance landscape.
FPCs will help insurers better understand the impact of resilience improvements while giving homeowners greater confidence that investment in protecting their properties may be recognised in the future.
For RAB and our partners Sedgwick, the completion of this research represents an important milestone in developing a practical approach to measuring property resilience and supporting a more flood-resilient housing market.
You can read the full published report here