Publication is now imminent of an interim report from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on whether pricing information from funeral directors is clear enough.
The interim report, expected in December, will also look at how prices have changed and the factors that affect them. A full report is due in June 2019.
The average cost of a funeral was nearly £3,800 in 2017 – not counting extras that can add another £2,000 to the total bill. For those on the lowest incomes that cost can easily represent up to a third of their annual income. The rising level of cremation fees will be considered as part of the review, with cremations now estimated to account for around 75 per cent of all funerals. When the report was announced, Daniel Gordon, Senior Director of Markets at the CMA, said: “People can understandably be very emotionally vulnerable when planning a funeral. We therefore think it is important that – at what can be a particularly challenging time – the process is made as easy as possible.
“As part of this study, we want to ensure that people can at least receive clear information on prices and the services making up a funeral, and that people get a fair deal on the cremation fees charged.”
A recent report said people are being overcharged for funerals by almost £600 million every year. According to Beyond, funeral price comparison site, mourners are paying around an average 35 per cent more than they need to, in consideration of the average package sold through its site.
Figures, the firm collated last year showed, across the UK, the broad range of prices for cremation and burial fees, which often make up a third to half of the total funeral cost.
The fees are set by the owner of the crematorium or cemetery. At the time of the 2017 survey, the most expensive crematorium fees were £999 at various locations all owned by Dignity PLC and least expensive was £490 at South West Middlesex Crematorium.
Tips for saving on crematorium costs include choosing direct cremation – cremation without a service. Picking a less popular time of day such as early in the morning or on a week day, can also cut costs.
Burial is likely to be more than 25 per cent more expensive than cremation. The cost of burial includes fees for the interment (a ‘digging’ fee) and a fee paid to the cemetery for lease of the land. In addition there are headstone and ongoing maintenance costs.
There was huge variation between burial fees across the UK, with Highgate Cemetery in London, charging as much as £18,324. Whilst, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, in Ireland, charged £261.
Natural or woodland burials can be less expensive and non-parishioners are usually charged higher fees. Alike, in the case of cremations, burials may be cheaper on weekdays. It is also perfectly legal to bury someone on private land with the permission of the land owner, potentially cutting out burial fees entirely.
