Before the coronavirus pandemic, funeral poverty had dominated headlines, prompting a review by both UK and Scottish Governments and the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) into the sector.
In this blog, managing director James Morris, explains why clarity and transparency have never been more vital.
Funerals are unique, reflecting the deceased’s life, personality and legacy. This means the cost of funerals varies too. So how do funeral directors provide an average, that fairly and accurately represents all funerals?
At it’s simplest, a funeral is essentially:
- Removal of a deceased person into our care
- Provision of a coffin
- Taken to a final place of rest: crematoria or place of burial
The price of a funeral combines the funeral director’s professional fees as well as the cost of burial and cremation plus other outsourced costs eg. flowers, officiant fees, and newspaper notices.
Something for Everyone
A non-attended cremation is the most basic funeral we offer. This involves a simple coffin for cremation at a time of the crematoria’s choosing and at which there is no family attendance or other service. The fee for this is dependent on which part of the country you live so by way of an example, an Edinburgh non-attended funeral would cost £1,853.
But most families want a funeral that they can attend, that also includes more traditional elements. These include a hearse, a service paying tribute to their loved one and a personal send-off. With these added, it’s not uncommon for an average Edinburgh funeral to cost £3,500-£4,250 right up to £6,000 plus for very extravagant events.
Pricing can be complex when you factor in all the elements that make up a funeral. So we’ve ensured our prices are transparent and inclusive. We include, as standard and at no extra cost, many of the funeral elements that other providers define as add-ons:
- 24/7, 365 day phone response
- Coming to your home to make arrangements
- Out of hours attendance
- Collecting clothing locally
- Family viewing
- Saturday morning funerals
- Use of our service room*
- Streaming and recording of services**
- Additional staff
- Delivery of ashes locally
- Online obituary
- Access to specialist bereavement support
When it comes to comparing costs between providers, knowing what we include will enable you to compare accurately.
We recommend other factors are also used to compare funeral directors, such as the experience of staff, quality of reputation, standard of facilities, quality of fleet and professional accreditation.
Having supported bereaved families for over 30 years, I can say the real cost of funerals is also measured in relief and satisfaction experienced by those responsible for arranging a funeral. It costs nothing to have a conversation so call us on 01835 862 218 to ensure you and your family get the funeral you want, at the cost you can afford.
* in Elgin, Dundee, Broughty Ferry, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Dalkeith, Hawick, Jedburgh, Galashiels, and Ashington
** in Elgin and from late 2020, Ashington
