Royal Mail has increased the price of a first-class stamp by 10p, bringing the cost to £1.80. This change took effect on Tuesday, April 7, as the postal service responds to shifts in mail usage and delivery demands.
The rise comes as a result of declining letter volumes coupled with a growing number of delivery addresses. Richard Travers, Royal Mail’s Managing Director of Letters, explained, “We always consider price changes very carefully, balancing affordability with the rising cost of delivering mail.”
He highlighted that UK adults spend an average of only £6.50 annually on stamps, and there has been a 70% reduction in letters sent over the past 20 years. Meanwhile, the total delivery addresses have increased by four million, now totaling 32 million across the UK.
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Alongside first-class stamps, the price of second-class stamps has increased by 4p, now costing 91p. Importantly, stamps purchased before the price increase remain valid for postage. Consumer finance expert Martin Lewis advised people to stock up on stamps prior to this rise, noting that older stamps without a printed price can still be used.
Royal Mail has faced operational changes in recent years. The last time its first-class post delivery targets were met was in 2019-2020. Ofcom approved measures that reduce second-class deliveries, eliminating Saturday service and limiting deliveries to alternate weekdays instead of six days a week. Despite these cutbacks, Royal Mail aims to maintain a three-working-day target for second-class mail delivery.
In June last year, Royal Mail was acquired by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group for £3.6 billion. Kretinsky recently apologized for delayed deliveries but emphasized that meaningful improvements require structural reforms.
Addressing the Business and Trade Committee, Kretinsky said, “I’m deeply sorry for any letter that arrives late. I’m deeply sorry if we are not delivering the letters on our promise, but I can’t agree with the assessment that service quality is declining as the data does not support that.”
He did acknowledge that the current quality of service “is not where we want it to be,” but stressed that performance levels have remained consistent over the previous three years.