Stamp prices are set to soar from today, yet savvy savers could dodge the hike.
Standard first-class stamps will climb from £1.35 to £1.65 (22 percent) or 30p, rise on October 7. Meanwhile, large first-class stamp costs will leap from £2.10 to £2.60, which is an uptick of 50p or 24 percent.
A decline in letters sent is driving these changes, Royal Mail claims according to reports in the Mirror.
Rising stamp prices isn’t anything new alike most things amid the cost of living crisis. Last October, the price for a standard first-class stamp moved from £1.10 to £1.25, and then April saw another rise to £1.35.
Elsewhere, Royal Mail‘s other services like “Signed For”, “Special Delivery Guaranteed” and “Tracked” will experience a price surge from October 7 also.
However the good news for customers looking to avoid a surge in costs is that second-class stamps won’t budge, remaining at a steady 85p for standard size and £1.55 for larger ones meaning you can dodge the price hikes if you plan ahead where possible.
If you’re planning to send a batch of Christmas cards, stockpiling stamps now could save your wallet before the rates go up. Those stamps which simply display a postage class without a price can be used even after prices rise.
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Nick Landon, Royal Mail’s chief commercial officer, stated: “We always consider price increases very carefully. However, when letter volumes have declined by two-thirds since their peak, the cost of delivering each letter inevitably increases.
“A complex and extensive network is needed to get every letter and parcel across the country for a single price – travelling on trucks, planes, ferries and in some cases drones before it reaches its final destination [delivered] on foot. We are proud to deliver the universal service, but the financial cost is significant.”
This update follows Royal Mail’s move to modernise their stamp system by introducing ones with barcodes.
Now, only “special stamps” that mark special events and Christmas stamps will remain valid. For those holding onto their old collections, Royal Mail offers a solution with the “Swap Out” scheme.
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