The cost of Royal Mail stamps has increased once more today. Presently, a first class stamp is priced at £1.80, while a second class stamp now costs 91p. Comparatively, the price of a first class stamp stood at 64p in 2016, marking a substantial 181% surge over the past decade.
Royal Mail attributed the hike in prices to a decline in the volume of letters sent, coupled with a rise in the number of delivery addresses. Richard Travers, Royal Mail’s managing director of letters, stated, “We meticulously evaluate price adjustments, striking a balance between affordability and the escalating expenses of mail delivery.”
“In the UK, adults now spend an average of only £6.50 annually on stamps, with a 70% decrease in letter transmissions compared to two decades ago. Meanwhile, the number of delivery addresses has surged by four million to reach 32 million addresses nationwide,” Travers added.
In the latest development, Royal Mail faces criticism for consistently missing its delivery targets. During the 2024/25 fiscal year, the postal service achieved on-time delivery rates of 77% for first class mail and 92.5% for second class mail, falling short of its 93% and 98.5% targets. The last time Royal Mail met its annual target for timely first-class post delivery was in 2019/20.
Ofcom recently approved Royal Mail’s decision to halt Saturday deliveries of second class post and to deliver second class mail only on alternate weekdays instead of six days a week. Despite this reduced service, Royal Mail aims to ensure that second class letters reach recipients within three working days.
Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group acquired Royal Mail for £3.6 billion in June last year. Kretinsky issued an apology for delayed letters but emphasized that fundamental reforms are necessary to rectify the postal service’s issues.
Responding to criticism from the Business and Trade Committee chairman regarding declining service quality, Kretinsky expressed regret for any delayed deliveries. He acknowledged that while service quality falls short of expectations, the performance has been consistently maintained over the past three years.
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