Related Articles
Martin Lewis has issued advice to Brits suggesting they stockpile a particular household essential before an upcoming price hike. Stamps, often a forgotten necessity, are set for a price increase in April, prompting Martin to recommend buying them beforehand.
The upcoming price changes will see the cost of a standard first-class stamp rise from £1.65 to £1.70 and a large first-class stamp from £2.60 to £3.15, starting from April 7. For a second-class stamp, the price will jump from 85p to 87p, whereas the large second-class stamp will maintain its current rate of £1.55, reports the Express.
These changes coincide with the Royal Mail applying price increases across its other services such as “signed for” and “tracked”. He pointed out that even if you rarely found yourself posting letters, it was always beneficial to have stamps on hand. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.
The MoneySavingExpert founder explained: “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.”
(Image: (Image: Getty Images))
He continued by illustrating the effectiveness of this tried and tested strategy, highlighting that the cost of a first-class letter stamp had risen from 60p in 2012 to £1.65, with an imminent rise to £1.70. The savings aren’t enormous at this juncture, but he still advises to stock up now.
According to Royal Mail, the rationale behind the new price increase is the company handling fewer letters. Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail, explained: “We always consider price changes very carefully but the cost of delivering mail continues to increase.”
He went on to describe their operations: “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 an attempt to safeguard the UK postal industry’s future, regulator Ofcom suggested in January that Royal Mail should reduce second-class letter deliveries to every other weekday, excluding Saturdays.
