We are pleased that the government’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been investigating the often uncompetitive nature of the funeral industry. We believe that some funeral companies are callously maximising profits at the expense of grieving families.
The CMA report has highlighted numerous poor practices, like cremation prices rising much faster than inflation and obscured payments being made by large funeral firms to nursing homes.
Several private crematoria operators have suggested that their high prices are linked to a lower number of cremations. However our data shows there is absolutely no correlation between pricing and volume.
The truth is that when a crematorium has no competition and a captive local market, they are far more likely to charge higher prices. We believe that having a second crematorium close by, say within a 5 kilometre radius, ensures prices remain competitive.
DirectCremation.co.uk has consistently supported more transparency and competition within the funeral industry. It recommends removing the barriers for new crematorium construction and compelling funeral firms to clearly and publicly display their prices.
You can read our full report on the Competition and Markets Authority’s website