The comparison starts with the operating profile — not the fuel label.
A cremator is a batch thermal process. Start-up, hot standby, the number of consecutive cremations and the time between cycles can materially change specific energy consumption. UK guidance therefore recommends recording fuel and electricity consumption and minimising unnecessary idling.
For CFI Systems, the engineering question is not simply “gas or electric?”. It is: what energy architecture produces the best complete installation for this crematorium?
Three architectures
Gas cremators
A mature architecture with high installed familiarity. Gas burners provide direct thermal input and can suit replacement projects where gas infrastructure already exists.
Electric cremators
Electrical heating elements heat the chamber indirectly. Electrification removes direct fossil-fuel combustion at the cremator and can reduce site CO₂ emissions where the electricity supply is sufficiently low-carbon.
Hybrid cremators
A hybrid architecture combines energy sources to create operating flexibility. The detailed configuration should be engineered around available electrical capacity, thermal demand, resilience and future energy strategy.
What should actually be compared?
1. Site electrical capacity
An electric or hybrid project must start with the real available electrical connection, transformer capacity, peak demand and the loads created by filtration, extraction and auxiliaries. A theoretical electric solution is irrelevant if the site cannot supply it economically.
2. Daily cremation profile
Two cremations per day and six consecutive cremations are very different energy cases. UK BAT guidance notes that gas consumption per cremation falls substantially when more cremations are performed consecutively. Electric cremators also benefit from extended operation because the hot state is maintained between cycles.
3. Carbon — direct and indirect
Gas produces direct combustion emissions at the crematorium. Electric heating shifts the energy-related carbon impact to the electricity supply. The relevant comparison therefore depends on the carbon intensity of the electricity used, not merely on the absence of a flame.
4. Cremation time and throughput
Throughput must be checked against the service schedule. Current UK guidance states that recently installed electric cremators can have longer cremation times, while also noting that available data are insufficient for a universal direct comparison.
5. Filtration and PG5/2(25)
Fuel choice does not remove the need to engineer emissions control. The cremator, secondary chamber, cooling, mercury abatement, filtration, extraction and monitoring should be treated as one process. Explore flue-gas treatment & filtration →
6. Recoverable heat
Where flue gases must be cooled before treatment, that cooling duty creates a heat-recovery opportunity. Hot water is often the most direct route; steam or ORC power generation may be considered where the thermal profile and annual operating hours justify it. Explore waste-heat recovery →
A practical decision matrix
| Criterion | Gas | Electric | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Existing energy infrastructure | Strong fit where gas is already available | Requires adequate electrical capacity | Can phase the transition between energy sources |
| Direct fossil-fuel use | Yes | No direct fuel combustion for chamber heating | Depends on operating mode |
| Carbon outcome | Linked to fuel use | Linked strongly to electricity carbon intensity | Depends on energy mix and control strategy |
| Operational flexibility | Established operating model | Best assessed with site schedule and power availability | Designed specifically for energy-source flexibility |
| Best project question | Can existing infrastructure be used efficiently? | Can the site support electrification technically and economically? | Does flexibility justify additional system complexity? |
PG5/2(25): fuel choice and compliance are separate decisions.
PG5/2(25) applies across UK crematoria and sets the framework for emissions, monitoring, control measures and Best Available Techniques. Existing cremators are required to meet the emission limit values for new cremators from 4 December 2029. The guidance also requires mercury-abatement flue-gas treatment on the applicable timetable, subject to limited exemptions.
Changing from gas to electricity does not by itself constitute a complete compliance strategy. CFI Systems therefore assesses cremator + secondary combustion + cooling + filtration + extraction + monitoring + energy recovery as one installation.
Read the CFI Systems PG5/2(25) technical insight
Retrofit, replace or prepare for hybridisation?
For an existing crematorium, the most economical route may be very different from a new-build project. Before specifying a replacement, CFI Systems can assess the refractory, combustion system, automation, filtration, extraction, heat exchanger, electrical infrastructure and remaining mechanical life.
The outcome may be a targeted retrofit, a new cremator, a filtration upgrade, an energy-recovery project or a staged strategy that prepares the site for a later change in energy source.
Explore retrofit & modernisation →
CFI Systems approach
CFI Systems does not select gas, electric or hybrid technology from a marketing label. The architecture is selected after engineering the real operating case: cremation volume, timetable, available utilities, emissions obligations, building constraints, maintenance strategy and future objectives.
The objective is not to electrify at any cost or preserve gas at any cost. It is to build the most coherent cremation system for the site.
Frequently asked questions
Is an electric cremator always lower-carbon than a gas cremator?
Not automatically. Electric heating removes direct fuel combustion at the cremator, but the overall carbon result depends on the carbon intensity of the electricity supply and the energy consumed over the actual operating profile.
Does an electric cremator still need flue-gas treatment?
Fuel choice and flue-gas-treatment obligations are separate questions. The applicable PG5/2(25) requirements, mercury abatement, filtration and monitoring strategy must be assessed for the complete installation.
Why does the number of cremations per day matter?
Because a hot thermal system loses energy during start-up and idle periods. Consecutive operation can reduce specific energy consumption by spreading those losses across more cremations.
When is a hybrid cremator interesting?
Where the site values energy-source flexibility, has constrained or evolving electrical capacity, or wants a staged decarbonisation strategy. The benefit must be assessed against the additional system complexity.
Can an existing gas crematorium be prepared for electrification?
Potentially yes. A retrofit study can assess electrical infrastructure, building interfaces, filtration, extraction, controls and the remaining value of existing equipment before deciding whether to retrofit, replace or phase the transition.