The government should introduce regulations to prevent huge price differences for basic “silent” cremations, funeral firm Uitvaartland.nl has said.

The organisation compared prices at 115 crematoria across the country and found price gaps of up to €850.

At the top end of the scale, a crematorium in Eelderwolde in Drenthe charged €1245 for a no-frills cremation compared to €395 in Almere, which was the cheapest.

“It’s ridiculous that these price differences still persist in 2024,” Johan Verhofstadt of Uitvaartland.nl said. “The government should intervene and impose fixed prices at all crematoriums for simple cremations.”

Uitvaartland also found big differences in prices for extras such as drinks and coffee. Mourners at a crematorium in Lisse pay €6.75 for a glass of wine, twice as much as a crematorium in Tilburg.

Not all crematoria are transparent about their prices on their websites and it was not always easy to compare the fees, Verhofstadt said. “There are lots of variables in services which makes it all very confusing for clients,” he said.

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Over 64% of people opt for cremation in the Netherlands and a growing number choose a technical or “silent’ cremation, where there are no mourners and no ceremony.

“They prefer to celebrate a person’s life elsewhere, at a sports canteen or a restaurant. It’s nicer and it often works out cheaper,” Verhofstadt said.