Cost of stamps to rise this month in ‘blow for consumers’

Stamp prices will rise again this month, marking the sixth price hike by Royal Mail in three years.

The cost of a first-class stamp will rise by 5p to £1.70 from next Monday, April 7.

The price of a second-class stamp will also rise by 2p to 87p on the same day.

In plans announced earlier this year, Royal Mail said the decision carefully considered “balancing affordability with the increasing cost of delivering mail”.

However, Citizens Advice described the change as “yet another blow to consumers”, and said the change to the second class price was “unjust”.

The number of letters Royal Mail delivers has fallen from a peak of 20 billion in 2004-05 to 6.6 billion last year.

Since 2022, Royal Mail has already hiked the cost of a first-class stamp five times from 85p to £1.65.

It also means first-class stamps have more than doubled in price in the last five years, after they cost just 76p in 2020.

Why has the cost of stamps increased?

Royal Mail said that this increase was the result of delivering fewer letters to more addresses.

“We always consider price changes very carefully but the cost of delivering mail continues to increase,” said Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail.

“A complex and extensive network of trucks, planes and 85,000 posties is needed to ensure we can deliver across the country for just 87p.”

But consumer advocate Citizens Advice says that millions of people will now have to pay more while still suffering from postal delays.

Tom MacInnes, the charity’s director of policy, said: “It’s unjust for Royal Mail to raise the price of a second-class stamp, while the regulator Ofcom looks at reducing second-class deliveries to alternate weekdays.

“As first-class stamps are becoming unaffordable, people could be forced by price pressures into choosing a slower service.”

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Can I still use old stamps?

Since February 2023, non-barcoded stamps have been invalid.

If you still have old stamps which don’t have a barcode on them, they can be exchanged for new barcoded versions through the Royal Mail Stamp Swap Out scheme.

Once you’ve picked up a swap out form you can include your stamps and return free of charge to “Freepost SWAP OUT”.

You can find more information on how to swap old non-barcoded stamps with new ones on the Royal Mail website.