‘Cremation costs are a postcode lottery’, claims new report

Cremation costs can vary by more than £500 depending on where the deceased lives, claims a new report.

The report ‘An Easy Guide to Cremation Prices’ by Funeral Plan Market investigates the variation in cremation prices across the UK.

The average price charged by crematoria in the UK is £780 (this typically covers the service in the chapel and cremation itself).

When comparing average prices by county London is cheaper at £721, the most expensive area is Oxfordshire at £962.

Council operated crematoria are on average the cheapest although prices vary – the most expensive council run crematorium being in Barrow-in- Furness, Cumbria, the cremation cost there is £959.

Funeral Plan Market suggests that all crematoria provide a budget price cremation to enable a cheaper alternative that has a national price cap. This would increase choice for customers and provide a lower cost option that would be especially beneficial for families struggling to meet the costs of a funeral.

Funeral Plan Market™ recommend that customers choosing a funeral plan that includes an allowance to cover third party fees [as opposed to a guaranteed plan] check that the allowance provided is sufficient to cover the cremation costs in their area and have published a regional guide on their website to enable customers to do this.

For more information visit www.funeralplanmarket.com.