Although a recent spate of flooding in the UK will inevitably lead to upward pressure on premiums - not all insurers will have been hit be a flurry of claims, so consumers should make sure they shop around for the best deals, an industry expert has said.

Debra Williams, managing director of car and home insurance search site Confused.com, says that premium impacts among insurers will vary and that excesses could rise also.

"Millions of home and car owners could find themselves twice hit by the floods of recent days, as insurers look to recover the cost of claims, estimated to total hundreds of millions of pounds over the last week alone," Ms Williams commented.

"Insurers that are particularly hard hit by claims may have little choice but to increase premiums over the coming year. This is likely to affect people living in flood prone areas, and most particularly those that make flood related claims in the form of increased compulsory excess levels.

"However, some insurers may be less affected than others, and it will pay to shop around for the best deal - some insurers could be offering significantly more attractive premiums than others," she added.