Martin Lewis’ MSE issues ‘four week’ warning to people who use Royal Mail

Martin Lewis and his Money Saving Expert team have issued an urgent alert to Royal Mail customers over the impending price hike of first-class stamps. The BBC Sounds and ITV star spoke out via his MSE team on Friday after the rise in prices for first-class stamps was confirmed.

Second-class stamps will be unchanged. While urging households to stock up ahead of a 30p increase, MSE said: “If you stock up on stamps now, be careful to avoid fakes. Buy from reputable high street outlets and, where possible, hang onto your receipt.

“Stamps are also available directly from the Royal Mail online shop (though here you need to spend at least £50 to get free delivery).” The price of first-class stamps for standard letters went up by 14 per cent in October 2023 (from £1.10 to £1.25) and then rose by a further 8 per cent in April 2024 (to the current £1.35).

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Now, they are set to rise by 30p to £1.65. And if you s till have non-barcoded stamps, MSE tells UK households and people up and down the country can “change them using Royal Mail’s ‘Swap Out’ scheme” in a helpful move from the company.

To swap your stamps, you’ll need to complete a standard ‘Swap Out’ form for stamps worth up to £200, or a bulk stamp ‘Swap Out’ form for stamps worth more than £200. MSE said: “There is currently no deadline on when you need to complete the swap by, but we suggest doing it sooner rather than later in case the scheme closes.”

A second-class standard letter will continue to cost 85p, and a large second-class letter will remain priced at £1.55. Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s group director for networks and communications, told the BBC’s Today programme the universal service “does need to change”.

“To be clear, no change is not really an option, otherwise it is going to be unsustainable and we’re all going to have to pay a lot more for it,” she said.