Complete guide to UK cremation costs

Cremations are significantly cheaper than burials in the UK, making them a sensible choice if funds are tight. But that’s not the only cost you need to consider after your loved one has passed away. The type of cremation you choose will also have a major impact on the overall fee, as well as what you decide to do with the ashes following cremation.

To help give you an idea of how much you can expect to spend, here’s a comprehensive guide on everything to do with cremation costs in the UK.

Cremation costs

Cremation costs depend primarily on two things: the location of the cremation and the type of cremation you choose. According to Dignity Funerals, the average cost of a cremation in the UK is £3,885. But the price can be increased or lowered, depending on where in the UK you are.

Reassured lists the different cremation costs according to locations:

  • South East and East England: £4,600
  • South West England: £3,964
  • Scotland: £3,683
  • North West England: £3,656
  • North East England: £3,531
  • Wales: £3,498
  • Northern Ireland: £3,322

What’s included?

The basic cremation costs include:

  • Crematorium fee: How much it costs to have your loved one cremated at a crematorium.
  • Doctor’s fee: Charge for the doctor to issue the cremation certificates. This isn’t included in the standard cremation costs in Scotland.
  • Minister of celebrant’s fees: Payment for the person who conducts the funeral service.
  • Funeral director’s fees: Covers most aspects of the funeral arrangements, including:
    • Transportation of the deceased
    • Hearse, bearers, and funeral procession
    • One limousine
    • Chance for the family to view the deceased
    • Hygienic treatment/embalming
    • Basic coffin made of light oak or teak veneer

The above is what’s covered by standard cremation costs, but some plans differ. Make sure you contact your provider to confirm what’s included in the costs before you commit.

What’s not included?

There are some aspects of cremation which aren’t included in the basic price. These aspects are generally optional but are something you may want to consider. You can expect to pay around £2,500 in total for the following:

  • Memorial: £1,106
  • Catering: £450
  • Additional limousine hire: £336
  • Venue hire: £245
  • Flowers: £193
  • Order sheets/service cards: £94
  • Death notice: £86

Direct cremation

Due to family and friend restrictions, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to do much about the location of the cremation. You’ll probably have to hold it in a place that’s convenient for everyone to visit. But you can take control of the type of cremation.

You can expect to pay £3,885 for a cremation with a standard funeral service that loved ones can attend. For a more cost-effective solution, consider a direct cremation.

According to SunLife, the average cost of a direct cremation is £1,647, with some companies providing the service for as little as £995. This includes transportation for the deceased, preparation for cremation, a simple coffin, doctor’s fees, and cremation fees.

The major difference between a direct cremation and a classic cremation is that a direct cremation is carried out without any mourners, service, or ceremony. It doesn’t include any non-essential elements, such as a procession, viewing, or hearse. By removing these things, you can have a respectful cremation that’s much cheaper than a traditional cremation.

Additional commemorations

What you choose to do with the ashes following the cremation is rarely covered by any plan. Here are some extra costs you may need to consider after the cremation:

Urn

If you’re planning on preserving the ashes at home, burying them, or storing them somewhere, you need an urn to keep them safe. Urn prices vary widely depending on the type of urn you choose and the kind of personalisation (if any) you choose.

A standard urn without any customisation will cost around £60-100. But you can expect to pay around £500 for a specially designed urn or one with a lot of customisation.

You can keep the cost of your urn down by choosing a scatter tube. This style of urn is made of basic recycled materials, usually thin card, and is designed to hold the ashes for a short time before you scatter them. You can pay as little as £20 for a scatter tube urn.

The cheapest and easiest thing to do with your urn is to keep it at home or bury the ashes on your property. This won’t cost you a penny and you don’t have to get anyone’s permission. While you can scatter ashes in a variety of open spaces without having to pay extra, you do often have to request permission and follow guidelines.

Interment of ashes

If you choose to store the ashes in a permanent resting place within a cemetery or columbarium, you’ll need to take the additional cost into consideration.

Churchyard or cemetery

There are thousands of churchyards and cemeteries across the UK where you can bury ashes. Exactly how much you pay will depend on the type of ceremony that accompanies the burial and how much the church charges.

The average cost to bury ashes in a churchyard or cemetery is £600. However, you can find yourself paying as little as £100 or as much as £2,000, depending on the cemetery and the type of grave you choose.

It’s important to remember that this fee doesn’t grant you exclusive use of the space forever. Most churchyards lease the space to you for 25-100 years. After this time, a letter will be sent out asking if the space should be renewed. This will come with an extra price in line with the times.

Some churchyards require special types of urns to be used, such as ones that biodegrade. Make sure you find out if the churchyard you’re planning on buying the ashes in has urn requirements because this could end up costing you extra.

Columbarium

A niche in a columbarium costs £200-£450 for a set period, usually 10-25 years. After this time, you can extend the lease on a year-by-year basis. The size of the niche you choose also affects the price. For example, a single niche will cost much less than a large family niche.

Cremation diamonds

You don’t have to bury the ashes or store them somewhere. You can transform them into a unique keepsake and keep your loved one with you for all of time.

A cremation diamond is one of the most beautiful and meaningful keepsakes you can make out of your loved one’s ashes. With all the money you’ve saved by choosing a cremation instead of a burial, it could work out more affordable than you may imagine.

How much you spend turning ashes into a cremation diamond depends on which company you choose. For example, Everdear’s prices start at £595 and Lionite’s prices start at £1,400, while LifeGem’s prices start at £1,799 and Aldordanza’s prices start at £2,040. The cut, color, and carat of your diamond will also play a role in determining the price.

Cremation diamonds cost as much as they do because a staggering amount of work goes into creating them. First, pure carbon is carefully extracted from the ashes. Then the carbon is placed inside an HPHT (High-Pressure High Temperature) machine which imitates the diamond-growing conditions the Earth uses.

The result is a genuine diamond made from the pure essence of your lost loved one. There’s nothing else like a cremation diamond on the planet and due to its longevity, it truly will stand the test of time.

Cheaper solution

If the previously listed prices are more than you can afford, there is a cheaper solution. Heart In Diamond offers the most competitive prices in the UK. We’re able to do so because we manufacture all our diamonds in our own laboratory. By keeping our production costs down, we’re able to pass the savings onto you at a time when you need them the most.

Our prices start from just £515 for a genuine, one-of-a-kind diamond made from the cremated ashes of your loved one. For the perfect finishing touch, we also offer a huge range of jewellery settings starting at £85.

To help make your cremation diamond even more affordable, we offer an interest-free payment option. If you put down a 25% deposit at the time of ordering, you can spread the remaining cost into manageable monthly payments without incurring any interest fees. Please get in touch for more information about our 0% interest payment plans.

It may be hard to believe, but you can have your loved one cremated and turn their ashes into a diamond for less than the cost of a standard burial.

The average burial costs £5,033 in the UK. In comparison, the average cremation only costs £3,885. Add on the price of a basic cremation diamond (£515) and a simple jewellery setting (£85) and the final price is £4,485. That’s £548 less than a burial.

If you choose to have a direct cremation, you can pay as little as £1,595 for the cremation and a special piece of memorial jewellery.

No matter how much we don’t want it to, price is something we always have to take into consideration, even after the death of a loved one. With a little bit of planning and smart choices, you can say a respectful and loving goodbye to the person you’ve lost, while still creating a beautiful memento you’ll cherish forever, all while staying within your budget.