Royal Mail increasing first-class stamp prices to nearly £2

A first-class stamp has nearly tripled in price in the last decade

Royal Mail has confirmed stamp prices are set to rise again, as the postal operator comes under fire for missing delivery targets. From April 7, a first-class stamp will cost 10p more at £1.80, nearly triple the price from a decade ago, while a second class stamp will increase by 4p to 91p.

The postal service said the decision reflected rising delivery costs, as letter volumes fall whilst the number of addresses grows, but the increase drew criticism from Citizens Advice, who argued that price rises should be linked to performance.

Last month, the BBC revealed Royal Mail executives would be summoned to appear before MPs over complaints regarding the company’s letter delivery service. The chair of the Business and Trade Committee, Liam Byrne, said he was “very concerned” about reports of “significant failures” in Royal Mail’s letter service.

Earlier in February, the committee wrote to Royal Mail, requesting commitments to improve what it described as “chaos” in some postal areas since Christmas.

Announcing the latest price increase, Royal Mail’s managing director of letters, Richard Travers, said: “We always consider price changes very carefully, balancing affordability with the rising cost of delivering mail.

“On average, UK adults now spend just £6.50 each year on stamps and there are 70% fewer letters sent than 20 years ago. In the meantime, the number of addresses we deliver to has increased by four million to 32 million addresses across the UK.”

Royal Mail came under the ownership of Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group last April. A decade ago, a first-class stamp was priced at 64p whilst a second class stamp cost 55p.

The sharp rise in stamp costs in recent years, coupled with Royal Mail’s disappointing delivery standards, has frustrated numerous consumer organisations.

Last year, the regulator Ofcom imposed a £21m fine on Royal Mail after discovering that nearly a quarter of first-class post was delivered late. This followed an Ofcom investigation after Royal Mail failed to meet its targets for both first and second-class post during 2024-25.

Responding to the latest stamp price increase, Anne Pardoe, head of policy at Citizens Advice, said the price of stamps “can’t be treated as a dial that is turned up without a clear justification for consumers, forcing people to dig deeper into their pockets for a failing service”.

She added: “More than half a decade has gone by since the company met its delivery targets and people still face a gamble, with many uncertain if their important documents or letters like medical appointments will arrive on time.

“Higher prices must come with higher standards – increases should be tied to Royal Mail’s performance on the doorstep.”