News | UKThe UK's most expensive places to hold funerals, according to a new studyNew figures reveal a shocking imbalance in funeral costs, with ceremonies now topping £6,000 in some parts of the country.Nick Charity20 August 2018Watford has been ranked as the most expensive place to hold a funeral in the UK, according to a study.Mourners in the Hertfordshire town are paying 37 per cent more to cover the costs of burying a loved one compared to the national average.Funeral comparison website Beyond said undertakers were "making a killing" in Watford and charging an average of £5,814 - £60 more than a typical ceremony in London.London was the second most expensive place for funerals, charging an average of £5,749 and Redhill was in third place, charging £5,352, according to the figures.It said in a statement that came with the findings: "The ‘Watford Gap’ is back and this time it’s because funeral directors seeking to make a killing are charging 37 per cent more than the UK average.The UK's ten 'most expensive places to die' Figures from research by comparison site, Beyond 1. Watford (£5,814) 2. London (£5,749) 3. Redhill (£5,352) 4. Guildford (£5,317) 5. Liverpool (£5,157) 6. Newport (£5,149) 7. Brighton (£5,013) 8. Halifax (£4,976) 9. Salisbury (£4,959) 10. Aberdeen (£4,942) Funeral costs have risen 33 per cent in the last two years, from to £4,241, the company added."This spike is being fuelled by price hikes among the big chains, who have raised their already-high fees by more than £500 in two years."Meanwhile, independent funeral directors, who represent roughly a third of the market, have actually been found to have dropped their fees over the past 12 months."James Dunn, co-founder of Beyond, said: “A lack of transparency in the funeral market is what’s fuelling price rises, particularly among the big chains.“Death means big business, with half a million Brits dying every year, but a disinclination to shop around is resulting in mourners, who are often vulnerable, paying over the odds.”Co-operative funeral care challenged the figures - stating that 81 per cent of people opt for cremation over a burial, and their figures show the average fees for funeral directors were at £2,810, or £3,900 including third party fees.Here is the full table of Beyond's figures: Rank Town Overall average cost Rank Town Overall average cost 1 Watford £5,814 26 Nottingham £4,579 2 London £5,749 27 Oxford £4,570 3 Redhill £5,352 28 Lincoln £4,538 4 Guildford £5,317 29 Leicester £4,506 5 Liverpool £5,157 30 Gloucester £4,503 6 Newport £5,149 31 Cambridge £4,501 7 Brighton £5,013 32 Inverness £4,495 8 Halifax £4,976 33 Luton £4,484 9 Salisbury £4,959 34 Hull £4,451 10 Aberdeen £4,942 35 Dorchester £4,445 11 Durham £4,854 36 Wigan £4,440 12 Hemel Hempstead £4,813 37 Wolverhampton £4,440 13 Coventry £4,752 38 Milton Keynes £4,433 14 Southend-On-Sea £4,701 39 Huddersfield £4,419 15 Medway £4,696 40 Stevenage £4,413 16 Hereford £4,695 41 Worcester £4,395 17 Tonbridge £4,689 42 Bath £4,380 18 Northampton £4,665 43 York £4,380 19 Slough £4,660 44 Bournemouth £4,378 20 Bristol £4,657 45 Reading £4,366 21 Canterbury £4,650 46 Sheffield £4,361 22 Wakefield £4,643 47 Dartford £4,347 23 Enfield £4,615 48 Doncaster £4,345 24 Lancaster £4,597 49 Cleveland £4,308 25 Perth £4,586 50 Birmingham £4,265 A spokeswoman added: "Co-op has held prices on its most affordable funeral options for over two years. So again, we would strongly challenge the claims about larger providers being solely behind the rises."MORE ABOUTFuneralsfamily
