Are dehumidifier electricity costs covered after a flood?

Flood cover is a standard feature of home insurance, and it usually covers the cost of drying out your home, including the electricity used to run dehumidifiers and heaters. Much of the electricity used during recovery, such as for dehumidifiers (often called driers) and building works, may be covered by your insurance policy¹. Whether it is depends on your policy terms, so check your documents before you assume a cost is covered.

The average claim for damage to people's homes and possessions from flooding, storms and burst pipes reached £8,548 in the second quarter of 2026, up 12% on the same period in 2025². That figure covers the whole claim, not just electricity, but it shows the scale of what a flood can cost. If your insurer refuses a cost you think is covered, you can complain to them and then to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

This page explains how flood cover works, how insurers settle claims, where cover stops, what happens if your home cannot be lived in, and what to check before you claim.

Flood cover in home insurance: buildings and contents

Home insurance is usually made up of two main parts: cover for the building itself and cover for the contents within⁵. Flood insurance is usually a standard part of the buildings insurance for your home, but it will not cover your belongings unless you have contents insurance too⁶. A typical buildings policy provides cover, at least in principle, for damage caused by floodwater entering your home from an external source, including a river or canal bursting its banks, storms and high tides, and heavy rainfall³.

If your home is flooded, check whether your insurance covers repair costs, replacing your belongings, another place to stay, and legal cover and legal advice⁷. Your home insurance policy should cover you for sudden, unforeseen events such as bad weather and storms⁸. Standard home insurance will not usually cover damage caused by wear and tear⁴.

Contents-only cover provides cover for contents in your home against loss or damage by fire, flood, storm, theft, escape of water and other similar causes⁹. If you rent, your landlord is usually responsible for buildings cover, but your own belongings need contents insurance.

How insurers settle a flood claim: repair, replace or pay cash

When you claim, your insurer can settle in one of three ways: repairing the damage, replacing something lost or damaged, or paying cash to cover the cost of repair or replacement¹⁰. A typical policy term says: "We will decide whether to repair, replace, pay cash or reinstate the damaged part of the building."¹⁰

If you insist on cash when the insurer is willing to repair or replace, the insurer will only pay the amount it would cost them, and as insurers get discounts from the suppliers and contractors they use, that is usually less than market rates⁵. So a cash settlement may leave you short of what a repair would actually cost you to arrange yourself.

For gadgets and phones, a cash settlement is generally the cost of replacing the item with one of the same age and condition before the insured event, from a reputable source¹¹. The same principle of like-for-like replacement often applies to household items, though the exact basis depends on your policy.

If you own your home, you are usually responsible for repairs due to flood damage⁷. Your insurer may arrange the work through approved contractors, or pay you to arrange it yourself.

Where flood cover stops: groundwater, unoccupied homes and wear and tear

Groundwater flooding is often excluded⁴. Home insurers will usually cover groundwater flooding if it has built up rapidly, but not where it has risen gradually³. Some policies include buildings cover for groundwater flooding, such as Nationwide Enhanced home insurance, while others do not, such as NFU Mutual Bespoke¹². esure states that damage caused by rising ground water levels, which happens gradually over a period of time, is not covered¹⁴.

Standard home insurance will not usually cover damage caused by wear and tear⁴. Your standard policy may not pay out if the loss or damage was caused while the home was unoccupied⁴. Accidental damage cover for buildings typically excludes any excess on your policy, damage caused by wear and tear, vermin, insects, fungus, the weather or gradual damage, damage caused by water entering the home, and damage caused by building extensions, repairs, alterations, subsidence, heave or landslip⁹.

Under-insurance may result in only part of a claim being paid¹⁵. If your sums insured are too low, your insurer may apply the average clause and reduce your payout.

Alternative accommodation if your home cannot be lived in

Policies generally include cover for temporary accommodation if your home has been made uninhabitable³. If your home is unsafe or uninhabitable, your policy might also provide alternative accommodation while the problem is being fixed¹⁶. Halifax Home Insurance Select, for example, includes a place to stay if you cannot live in your home due to flooding on combined building and contents policies⁶.

If you are evacuated as a precaution and your property has not been damaged, temporary accommodation is typically arranged through the Local Authority¹⁷. Your insurer may not be involved because there is no damage to claim for.

If you rent, your council or housing association landlord might have to give you somewhere to stay if flooding in your home is an emergency hazard⁷. If you cannot afford to pay the difference between your rent and your housing benefit or Universal Credit housing costs, it may be possible to apply for a discretionary housing payment from the council¹⁸.

Council tax arrears can be written off in some circumstances, including where your home cannot be lived in due to fire or flood damage, where there is no money left after living costs for a long time, or where there is serious ill health including mental health conditions¹⁹.

Checking your policy and sums insured before you claim

Before you start your claim for damage caused by extreme weather, check what you are and are not covered for in your policy documents²⁰. The Financial Ombudsman Service says: "We'd expect your insurer to check all parts of your policy - not just the storm damage part - to see if you're covered."²¹

Insurers consider a variety of factors when calculating the premium for the policy they are offering, and it can vary depending on the insurer, the individual circumstances of the policyholder and the particular risk or risks the insurer is being asked to cover²². That means two neighbours can pay very different premiums for similar cover.

If you are in a flood-risk area, failing to provide accurate information could invalidate your policy and prevent you from making a claim¹⁵. Under-insurance may result in only part of a claim being paid¹⁵.

Flood Re is a re-insurance scheme in which insurers can pool the costs associated with higher-risk properties by paying a levy into a non-profit-making fund²³. Householders do not deal with Flood Re directly, and decisions about whether eligible properties are included in the scheme are made by insurers²³. Before Flood Re, just over half of flood-claim homes would have paid thousands of pounds, while the remainder would have been unable to obtain insurance altogether²⁴.

Who provides flood cover in the UK

Flood cover is available from a range of insurers, including high street banks and building societies, specialist home insurers and mutuals. Halifax offers flood guidance and includes alternative accommodation on its combined building and contents policies⁶. Nationwide Enhanced home insurance includes buildings cover for groundwater flooding¹². NFU Mutual Bespoke does not cover groundwater flooding on its buildings policies¹³. esure excludes damage caused by rising ground water levels that happens gradually¹⁴. Tesco Insurance does not cover fences, gates or hedges, or fixed items in the open such as outdoor hot tubs under its storm damage cover²⁵.

Cover for items in your garden may vary. Some policies include cover for garden furniture, trees, hedges, lawns and fences, while others do not²⁶. Comprehensive car insurance usually includes damage caused by floods, storms, fallen trees or flying debris²⁷.

If you are struggling to find cover, the National Flood Forum offers guidance on home insurance¹⁵. The Financial Ombudsman Service can look at complaints about how an insurer handled a claim¹⁰.