ROYAL MAIL: The cost of posting a letter just went up again — and it’s nearly three times what it was a decade ago
The price of a first class stamp has risen to £1.80 today — the eighth increase in five years — as Royal Mail faces mounting criticism over its failure to hit basic delivery targets.
Second class stamps have also gone up, rising 4p to 91p. The increases took effect this morning, 7 April, and apply to anyone buying stamps from today.
For families across Wales, the rises will be felt most keenly by those who still rely on post for bills, cards and correspondence. Ten years ago, a first class stamp cost just 64p. Today’s rise means the price has risen by 116p in a decade — almost trebling in cost.
Royal Mail says the increases are unavoidable. The company points out that the average household now receives just four letters per week, down from 14 at the peak more than 20 years ago, while the number of addresses it delivers to has grown by four million to 32 million across the UK.
Richard Travers, Managing Director of Letters at Royal Mail, said the company always considered price changes carefully. “On average, UK adults now spend just £6.50 each year on stamps and there are 70% fewer letters sent than 20 years ago,” he said. “In the meantime, the number of addresses we deliver to has increased by four million to 32 million addresses across the UK.”
But the timing of the increase has angered many, coming as Royal Mail is under fire for missing its own delivery targets by a significant margin. Just 77% of first class letters are currently being delivered within one working day — against a target of 93%.
The charity Citizens Advice has called for price rises to be tied to performance, arguing that customers should not be paying more for a service that is falling short. The BBC has also reported that postal workers from across the UK said they were asked to move or hide mail from senior managers to make delivery figures appear better than they were.
Royal Mail said it took those claims “very seriously” and maintained that 92% of letters were delivered on time — a figure at odds with the official regulatory data.
The company’s owner, Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský, faced questions from MPs last month over ongoing postal delays. He acknowledged the service was not perfect but said he had a plan to address the issues. The chair of the Business and Trade Committee, Liam Byrne, said he was “very concerned” about reports of significant failures in the letter service.
Further cost pressures are also on the way for business customers. From 3 May, Royal Mail will increase its fuel surcharge by 5% for domestic services and 5.5% for international services, citing rising global fuel costs linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
Royal Mail maintains that UK stamp prices remain competitive by European standards. A second class stamp in the UK, it says, is 65p below the European average, and a first class stamp is 13p below the average across 29 countries.
The full list of updated Royal Mail prices is available at royalmail.com/prices2026.
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