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Written by Adam McIlroy.
14 minute read
How much do prepaid funerals cost? It’s a question that isn’t as easy to answer as it might seem. If you are starting to think about the future, and getting a plan together for your own funeral, then the cost of things is likely not far from your first thoughts. In this article, we will answer the question “How much do prepaid funerals cost?”, providing you with some guidance and pointers on how to do some effective research, and to make sure that you are getting the most for your money.
Key takeaways:
*Funeral costs are expected to rise year on year, based on Legal & General research
A prepaid funeral is an agreement between you and a funeral provider. In exchange for your money, they will guarantee to organise and coordinate the exact funeral that you want for yourself with your family after you’re gone.
There are a couple of important benefits:
There are various funeral plans available today. Aura’s direct cremation plans focus on the cremation process, forgoing what can be costly extras associated with traditional ceremonies. But you may find that a traditional burial plan is more in line with your interests, and this will depend upon the beliefs on death and funerals in religion that people tend to have. In any case, weighing up cremation vs burial is certainly likely to be a big part of your decision-making process.
According to a report by Funeral Solution Expert, the average cost of an unattended direct cremation funeral plan is £1,700, while a fully attended plan averages £2,750. They also note that traditional burial and cremation plans are significantly more expensive, with an average of £4,100.
Legal & General have also examined the rise in funeral costs across the UK. Their analysis puts the average cremation cost at £4,431, and they predict the average cost of a UK funeral could reach £6,733 by 2034.
To summarise, with the average cremation funeral plan in the UK costing around £4,431 and a direct cremation plan averaging £1,700, Aura’s own direct cremation plan starting at £1,695, makes it a competitively priced option.
There are different types of burial or cremation costs associated with a prepaid funeral plan. There are essential or ‘unattended’ costs, optional extras or ‘attended’ costs, and then there are third-party, or ‘additional’ costs.
Essential unattended plan costs
Aura’s simplest unattended direct cremation plan (starting at £1,695) includes all the essentials: We will collect your loved one from anywhere in mainland Great Britain, even urgently if needed, and bring them into our care at one of our local care facilities. There they will be cared for until the day of their cremation, at which point they will be transported to the crematorium in a private ambulance.
The cost of the cremation (and the simple coffin in which they are cremated) is included, as is the cost of hand-return of the ashes to the family. Music can even be selected to play as the coffin is placed on the catafalque in the crematorium chapel at no extra cost.
Attended plan costs
Aura has two attended direct cremation plans (starting at £2,395), which cover features of an attended ceremony, for those who would like friends and family to be there on the day of their funeral. All of the aspects of the unattended plan are covered in the cost of the attended plans, with the price of the attended service also being added in.
Additional costs in prepaid plans
There are certain additional costs that, whilst they might be covered by some comprehensive plans, are not typically covered as standard. These can include celebrant or minister fees for attended ceremonies, or the cost of extras that would be sourced elsewhere, such as floral tributes, or any theme / design work that is done for the ceremony itself. With burial plans, this might relate to expenses for headstones and burial-plot rental.
With funeral plans, the cost of what’s included is fixed at the time of purchase. However, third-party extras may still be affected by future price rises and funeral inflation, so if you decide to add these later, it could increase the overall cost of your funeral.
You can see what is included with each of Aura’s plans below.
Terms and conditions apply. Third-party costs may not be covered. You will receive a funeral plan summary before purchase.
| Unattended | Intimate | Fully Attended | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating from independent experts at Fairer Finance | |||
| Cremation fees included | |||
| Collection fees included. 24/7 within mainland Britain | |||
| Oversized/bariatric coffin | |||
| Return of ashes or scattered in the garden of remembrance | |||
| Removal of standard medical items (e.g. pacemaker) | |||
| Choice of crematorium | |||
| Attended Service | 10-minute attended service for 15 people | 40-minute service for unlimited people (up to the maximum capacity of the crematorium). |
Factors influencing the cost of prepaid funeral plans
A number of things can influence the cost of a prepaid funeral plan. For instance, some providers might charge you interest or payment fees if you’d like to pay in monthly installments (over a long time) . Aura, however, will not penalise you with such fees if you’d like to pay monthly; you can pay over 12-to-24 months and your final price will be the same as it would have been had you paid in one go.
Ultimately, one of the biggest factors affecting final cremation costs is your own preferences, as customisations and extras can quickly add up.
We have seen the decline of religion in the UK in recent years, which has led to a corresponding drop in religious funerals too. With that said, though, many people still feel drawn to the trappings of a traditional funeral, such as having a procession complete with limousines or a horse and carriage, and having floral tributes. These extras can add a lot of expense to the overall cost of your funeral.
“How much do prepaid funeral plans cost?” is a question that cannot be answered without comparing different providers against one another. In order to do this, you will need to spend some time visiting the different websites of the providers you are interested in, to try to get a sense of their strengths and weaknesses. Impartial consumer advice sites, like Martin Lewis’s Money Saving Expert, can provide you with some objective information about things like how much funeral plans cost.
You can also compare Aura funeral plans with other leading providers by considering the table below. It allows you to see lots of handy information in one place, and how the most important metrics stack up next to one another. Price isn’t necessarily the only thing that matters; you’ll want to examine the relative standing each provider has with its past clients, by checking customer reviews, and to see whether there are any fees that might apply around cancellation and amendment of your plan. It might be useful to start a funeral checklist in order to keep all of your research organised.
 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairer finance rating | |||||
Starting from price | £1,695 | £2,095 | £1,700 | £1,885 | £1,595 |
Trustpilot rating | 4.9/5 stars | 4.8/5 stars | 4.6/5 stars | 4.4/5 stars | 4.9/5 stars |
| All-inclusive* | |||||
| Lifelong free cancellation | |||||
| Money-back satisfaction guarantee | |||||
| Trust solvency | 128% | 124.8% | Unknown | 138% | Unknown |
| No added instalment fees |
There are several financial factors to think about with funeral plans, including how you’ll pay (in instalments or a lump sum), what savings you might make, and any risks or limitations involved.
Most plan providers will offer you the chance to either pay all in one go, or over a period of time; indeed, some providers allow you to spread the cost over many years. However, it’s important to be cautious when choosing to pay in instalments, because most plan providers mandate a form of interest or some kind of payment-admin fee, which, in the end, make the final prices between the options of paying in one go at the outset and paying monthly quite different.
When comparing Co-op cremations vs Aura, for example, you will see that Co-Op allow their customers to spread the cost between 6 months and 25 years, if they so choose. However, there could be an administration fee of up to 6% per payment, which will certainly add up in the long-term. While Aura doesn’t offer instalment plans over 25 years, we aim to keep your payments more manageable — with no extra fees if you choose to pay over 12 to 24 months.
One of the great benefits of having a funeral plan in place is the potential savings that you can make. When you buy an Aura funeral plan, you are locking in today’s prices. This means, put simply, that if you pay for a plan now, it will be significantly cheaper than it would be for your family to face the prospect of organising and paying for your funeral in the immediate wake of your death, especially if that day doesn’t come for many years.
Your money, with an Aura funeral plan, goes into our independently managed, secure trust, where it is protected against the rising cost of funerals and the potential impact of inflation. When the time comes, we simply draw what we need from our trust to pay for everything.
People often wonder “are funeral plans safe?”. Of course, it’s natural to be concerned about the outcome of your plan, and how important it is to ensure that the money you have paid is protected, and your loved ones won’t have any more to pay when you’re no longer here. Regulated funeral plans are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), giving you peace of mind that your money is safeguarded if the provider goes out of business.
In the highly unlikely event that Aura is unable to deliver on your plan for any reason, through our FCA regulation, we must either issue you with a full refund, or transfer your plan to another provider who is able to deliver. Either way, in this highly unlikely scenario, you will not lose out.
If you want to know more about how your funeral plan is cared for, our downloadable guide provides the details you need to feel confident. Discover the steps Aura takes to protect your funds and the regulations in place to keep your money safe.
Download our guide by clicking the link below and gain peace of mind for the future.
Whether or not a prepaid funeral plan is right for you will depend on your budget and your preferences.
What is included in a prepaid funeral plan will depend on the kind of provider you opt for. In general, certain essentials tend to be included, such as the cremation or burial costs; transportation of the person who has died into mortuary facilities; their care and preparation prior to the funeral; and then transportation to the funeral itself.
Again, depending on the provider, certain things will be excluded. With many burial plans, the cost of the headstone and burial-plot rental are actually not included in the quote price. Extras like flowers, a custom coffin, or expenses relating to an end-of-life celebration after the funeral are not likely to be included as standard. You can see what is included and what is not with Aura’s simple, unattended direct cremation plan, below.
Ultimately, this is up to you. There are other options out there which you can choose for the purpose of paying in advance for your funeral, such as over-50’s life insurance, but whether you prefer to go down that path is a personal choice.
The benefits of an Aura funeral plan are:
In our view, these benefits are worth securing for their own sake, but the choice is ultimately yours.
We hope that you’ve found this article useful for giving you a sense of how much prepaid funeral plans cost. If you have any questions whatsoever about our funeral plans, or you’d like to organise one with us, you have only to call us; our friendly team is ready to help.
In the meantime, why not download our funeral plan brochure?
If you’d like to know more about how to plan a cremation with Aura, our brochure is a helpful place to begin.
Our funeral plans are a helpful way to put everything in place for you or someone else.
When the time comes, our experienced team will be here to guide you through each step, offering support and advice whenever you need it.
To find out more about how our plans work, what’s included, and our story, you can request a brochure by clicking the link below. We will then send you a copy by email or First Class post—whichever you prefer.
Aura’s prepaid plans cover collection, cremation fees, coffin, medical device removal, and return of ashes. Attended plans also include time in the chapel and space for guests.
Some third-party fees (like celebrants or flowers) aren’t usually included. But Aura’s plans are all-inclusive for core services.
Yes. Aura allows you to spread payments over 12–24 months with no extra fees. The price stays the same whether you pay upfront or in instalments.
Absolutely. Aura’s plans are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)—so your money is always secure.