Almost 20% of businesses operating vehicle fleets were affected by the floods, a poll by comparison website TrackCompare.co.uk has shown.

Kjell Anderton, a director of the company, said: “We received a range of comments from respondents. One fleet operator told us he’d lost more than £80,000, which he blamed on the Government for poorly maintained flood defences.

“And, a self-employed courier said he’d ‘lost a lot of money’ because he couldn’t get to his delivery points.

“However, for a few businesses it was quite a different story – some actually got busier.”

The TrackComapre survey suggests fewer fleets were affected than those identified in a Fleet News poll in the wake of the flooding.

According to the Federation of Small Businesses, the floods cost small firms more than £830m.

The organisation said a third of small firms in affected areas suffered from reduced demand, while transport disruption hit supplies and led to staff absences at many firms. The average cost to each business in flood-hit areas was £1,531.

Estimates of insured losses varied widely. Credit Suisse analysts said the final bill could reach £1.2bn, while Bank of America Merrill Lynch put the figure at £1.5bn.

The TrackCompare.co.uk survey ran from March 26 – April 15. Respondents were asked Was your business affected by the bloods? A total of 18% said yes.

Launched in 2009, TrackCompare.co.uk represents more than 50 tracking and telematics companies across a wide range of technologies.

The company’s online service is backed by a team of experienced fleet consultants, who help more than 2,000 new fleets every month.

TrackCompare.co.uk assists organisations large and small to identify the most effective tracking and telematics solutions for their operations.