ALTHOUGH they may live miles from a river or coast, many Britons could be paying sizeable sums for household insurance to protect other people’s homes against a risk of flooding in an era of dramatic climate change.

This intriguing thought emerges from the Automobile Association’s British Insurance Premium Index, which has tracked home insurance premiums since 1994.

The AA confirms a 22 per cent surge in the Shoparound index (an average of the three lowest premiums for each risk quoted in the Index) since last year’s floods.

AA Insurance director Simon Douglas said: “The days of cheap home insurance deals may be numbered.

“The sharp rise over the past year indicated by the Shoparound index for buildings cover suggests insurers offering the lowest premiums have revised rates to take account of predictions of more frequent flash flooding.”

Mr Douglas thinks insurers are responding to new mapping from the Environment Agency, which considers risks of sudden flooding as a result of heavy rain that can overcome drainage systems and hit thousands of homes.

He said: “Last year, insurers dealt with 180,000 flood claims in 23 counties, paying £3bn in claims. Around half of those were in areas not known to be prone to flooding.”

AA Insurance officials said the average buildings premium last month was £209.52, while contents cover was £128.69. Combined cover came in at £299.42.

Measured on price alone, the Shoparound premium produced a figure of £126.29 for buildings and £72.41 for contents. The average cost of combined cover was £192.87.

It is not only floods that alarm home insurers. Church spires in Lincolnshire wobbled in February in Britain’s biggest earthquake for nearly 25 years, and tremors touched North Yorkshire and the North-East. Chimneys crumbled in Folkestone, Kent, in April last year for the same reason.

Even before the AA suggested millions could get bills for climate change they might not deserve, it was clear that home insurance is a competitive market place.

The Post Office, which entered the market in November 2004, looked particularly cheap earlier this year. Its policies offer separate or combined home and contents cover, with a Home Assistance option providing 24- hour assistance for emergencies such as burst pipes and blocked drains.

At present, buyers of a Post Office insurance policy get £50 cashback (for buildings and contents cover combined) and £25 for a single policy. But Post Office premiums have slipped down the league table of cheapest providers at financial website moneysupermarket.

com There are also discounts at Nationwide BS, which has lifted home insurance sales by 29 per cent in a year. This month, it is offering a 20 per cent discount for this year and next on combined buildings and contents cover, and another ten per cent off for those buying online.

Of course, if a claim has to be made, quality of cover, and level of excess, tend to be more important than price.

Sainsbury’s Home Insurance, which includes cover for up to £500 against bikes being stolen, said only 16 per cent of the claims it has settled since 2004 concerned thefts from home.

Had be been insured with Sainsbury’s, Tory leader David Cameron would not have batted an eyelid about losing his bike recently.

All these points, and particularly cover for expensive electrical items such as home computers, laptops and TVs, besides items such as replacement locks and keys, need to be considered alongside price when a policy is chosen.

But the comparison site Gocompare.

com said the difference between average price and cheapest home cover is as wide as 45 per cent – meaning customers who shop around can get three years’ cover for the price of two.

At rival comparison site Confused.com, product director Simon Lamble said: “Customers save an average £193.81 on home insurance on our site, but many people never change their insurer out of loyalty.”