Last chance to stock up on stamps before prices jump

You’ve got just days left to stock up on stamps before prices rise on Monday 7 April.  

How much are stamps going up by?  

As of 7 April, here’s what you’ll have to pay:  

• first-class stamp: up by 5p – from £1.65 to £1.70 

• large first-class stamp: up by 55p – from £2.60 to £3.15 

• second-class stamp: up by 2p – from 85p to 87p 

• large second-class stamp: stays the same at £1.55 

• A book of eight 1st class stamps will cost £13.60. In 2020 it cost £6.08. 

The cost of other Royal Mail services, such as ‘signed for’ and ‘tracked’ deliveries will also increase, as will the cost of sending parcels by first and second class. 

The latest increase follows a rise in first-class stamps in October, when they jumped by 22%. They’d already been increased by 8% in April 2024, from £1.25 to £1.35. 

What’s behind the price hike?  

Royal Mail says the price rises are due to mounting costs and the ‘universal service obligation’ – meaning they’re required to deliver to every UK address, six days a week. 

Criticism of the increases 

The rising cost of stamps, at a time when virtually every household bill has increased, has been criticised.  

Tom MacInnes, director of policy at Citizens Advice, called it ‘another blow’ to consumers, who are ‘forced to pay the price in more ways than one.’  

Citizens Advice pointed to data that shows an estimated 10.7m people (22% of UK adults) faced delays with letters over Christmas. 

As a result, 3.4m people faced a serious consequence, including missing vital health appointments, bills, legal documents, letters from the bank, fines and benefit decisions. 

“Royal Mail hasn’t met an annual delivery target for five years, but consumers will pay 124% more for a first-class stamp and 34% more for a second-class stamp, than they did in 2020,” MacInnes added.