Homeowners in flood-risk areas are set to benefit from changes to flood cover by Halifax and esure.

Halifax has announced that existing customers covered by Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Intelligent Finance whose homes are within flood risk areas will benefit from a guarantee to extend cover for at least a further five years.

Halifax has also committed to limit premium changes due to flood risk to 5% per year, offer a 20% premium discount for customers who invest in floodskirt technology and give £2,000 to customers who actually use floodskirts to defend their homes.

Meanwhile, esure will extend its home insurance cover to 100,000 households previously excluded because of flood risk.

Last year esure became the first insurer to deny cover to homes at risk of flooding.

But, a re-appraisal of local risk and flood defences, incorporating information from environmental agencies, local research and liaison with Scottish flood appraisal groups, has allowed the insurer to cover a further 5,700 postcodes.