BRITS have been urged to stock up on stamps ahead of price increases in a matter of days.
Beginning next week, the Royal Mail is raising the cost of first and second-class deliveries.
Money-saving expert Martin Lewis urged Brits to stock up on first-class stamps before the price increase takes effect o n Tuesday, April 7.
“For years, every time stamps go up in price I’ve suggested people stock up and bulk-buy in advance, as provided the stamp doesn’t have a price on it and instead just says the postage class, it’s still valid after the rise,” he said.
“This has been an effective tactic, as a first-class letter stamp is now £1.70, soon rising to £1.80 – in 2012 it was just 60p.”
Anyone planning to stock up on stamps now is advised to keep an eye out for fakes.
Make sure to buy from reputable high street outlets and, where possible, hang on to your receipt.
Stamps are also available directly from the Royal Mail online shop, with free delivery after a £50 spend.
The latest Royal Mail increase will see the cost of a standard first-class stamp rise by 10p to £1.80, while a second-class stamp will increase by 4p to 91p.
This follows a 5p spike in the price of stamps in April last year to the current £1.70.
Previously, stamp prices increased by a whopping 22% in October 2024, rising from £1.35 to £1.65.
Large first-class stamp prices are also set to increase, rising from £3.15 to £3.30, while second-class remains the same.
Richard Travers, managing director of letters at Royal Mail, spoke about the upcoming price increase.
“We always consider price changes very carefully, balancing affordability with the rising cost of delivering mail,” he said.
“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 added that the number of addresses the Royal Mail deliver to has increased by four million to 32 million addresses across the UK.
The recent price increase means the cost of a first-class stamp has now more than doubled – up 137% – in the past six years after eight rises.
Meanwhile, while the cost of a second-class stamp has been hiked six times during the same period.
It comes as Royal Mail is set to face MPs over complaints about its delivery service.
The chair of the Business and Trade Committee, Liam Byrne, said he was “very concerned” over reports of “significant failures”.
A first-class stamp cost just 64p 10 years ago, while a second-class stamp was 55p.
In 2025, Royal Mail was fined £21million by the regulator Ofcom after it was revealed that close to a quarter of first-class post arrived late.
The last time the service met its annual target for delivering first-class post on time was in 2019-20.
Anne Pardoe, head of policy at Citizens Advice, said: “Higher prices must come with higher standards – increases should be tied to Royal Mail’s performance on the doorstep.”
The cost of many of Royal Mail’s “Signed For”, “Special Delivery Guaranteed”, and “Tracked” services will also increase next, as will the cost of sending parcels by first and second class.
