Families in Britain are facing a postcode lottery for funeral services, with the price of saying goodbye to a loved one varying by as much as £4,000 depending on where they live. This stark finding comes from the most comprehensive study of funeral costs ever conducted in the UK, revealing dramatic regional disparities and significant differences between local providers.
Regional Disparities: From Wales to London
The research, conducted by Pure Cremation, analysed data from more than 270 funeral directors. It found that the average price for a traditional funeral in the UK now stands at £4,562. However, this national figure masks a huge geographical divide.
Wales emerged as the most affordable region, with an average traditional funeral costing £4,136. In stark contrast, London holds the title for the most expensive place to arrange a funeral, where the same service averages £5,710 – a premium of almost £1,500.
The gap becomes even more pronounced for burials. The North East offers the cheapest average burial cost at £5,092, while in London the figure soars to £9,050. This near-doubling in price is largely driven by the cost of burial plots alone, which average £5,064 in the capital compared to just £2,085 in the North East.
Local Choice Creates a Cost Chasm
Perhaps more startling than the regional variations are the extreme price differences found within the same areas. The study shows that by simply choosing one funeral director over another in their locality, families could pay up to £3,600 more for identical services.
In Scotland, for instance, the cost of a traditional funeral ranges from £2,868 to £5,896 – a difference of £3,028. The Midlands shows a similar pattern, where the cheapest option (£3,737) is £2,438 less than the most expensive (£6,175).
A striking example comes from Devon, which is home to both the most expensive and the cheapest individual funeral directors in Great Britain. One charges £4,485, while another offers services for just £812, creating a £3,663 price gap within a single county.
Transparency Concerns Persist Despite Regulations
This research arrives four years after the Competition and Markets Authority introduced the Funeral Market Investigation Order 2021. This legislation legally requires all funeral directors to display clear, standardised price lists both online and in their premises.
However, Ian Atkinson, Marketing Director at Pure Cremation, argues that the reality is not so straightforward. "As we compiled this report, it became clear that just looking at a funeral director’s ‘standardised price list’ won’t give you the real cost in many cases," he stated.
Atkinson highlighted ongoing issues with transparency, noting that some directors list price ranges, mark items as ‘price on request’, or add a list of extras – like ‘additional miles’ charges – that are impossible for grieving families to calculate in advance.
"There remains far too much ambiguity around what’s included, what isn’t, and what families actually end up paying," he warned. "That leaves grieving families vulnerable to hidden costs at the worst possible time."
The report underscores that the funeral director's fee alone constitutes around 60% of the total cost of a traditional cremation funeral. Pure Cremation says its study aims to provide a fully transparent way for families to compare prices in their area, empowering them to make informed decisions during a difficult period.
