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Martin Lewis has advised Brits to stock up on this item before the price increases in April. Stamps are a must-have item in any household and while you may not think you send that many letters, there’s always a time when you may need one.
But soon, the price of stamps will be going up, so Martin says you should buy some before the new prices come into force. The price of a standard first-class stamp will increase from £1.65 to £1.70, while a large first-class stamp will rise from £2.60 to £3.15 from April 7. A standard second-class stamp will increase from 85p to 87p. The price of a large second-class stamp will remain the same at £1.55, reports The Mirror.
Royal Mail will introduce the rise along with an increase on its other services such as “signed for” and “tracked”.
But, if you bulk buy stamps now, you’ll be able to purchase them at their cheaper cost before the rise kicks in.
Martin Lewis, said: “For years, every time stamps go up in price I’ve suggested people stock up and bulk-buy in advance, as provided the stamp doesn’t have a price on it and instead just says the postage class, it’s still valid after the rise.
“This has been an effective tactic, as a first-class letter stamp is now £1.65, soon rising to £1.70 – in 2012 it was just 60p. So while it’s not a huge saving this time, you still may as well stock up now.”
Royal Mail said the new increase was down to the firm delivering fewer letters.
Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail, said: “We always consider price changes very carefully but the cost of delivering mail continues to increase.
“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.”
In January, regulator Ofcom proposed that Royal Mail should only deliver second-class letters every other weekday and not on Saturdays to protect the future of the UK’s postal industry.
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