Yahoo News Stamp price increase 2019: cost of first and second class stamps increases
The price of first and second class stamps is due to increase by up to 5p next week.
From Monday, the price of a first-class stamp for a standard letter will be 70p and the price of a second-class stamp for a standard letter will be 61p.
The price hike comes just one year after Royal Mail announced it was increasing the prices of its first and second class stamps by 2p.
Large letters will also be affected, with stamp prices increasing from £1.01 to £1.06 for first-class and from 79p to 83p for second-class.
Royal Mail issued a statement reading: “Royal Mail understands that many companies and households are finding it hard in the current economic environment.
“As a result, we have considered any pricing changes very carefully and in doing so have sought to minimise any impact on our customers.”
Money saving expert Martin Lewis advised people to stock up on stamps before the new price marks are implemented on Monday.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, he said: “April is the season for public service price hikes; council tax, water bills energy prices, and more going up.
“Yet I thought I’d bring you a couple of the less known ones today.
“On Monday (25 March) the price of a first-class stamp for a standard letter will increase from 67p to 70p and to 61p from 58p for a second-class stamp.
“For a large letter, the cost will go up by 5p to £1.06 (first-class) and to 83p (second-class).
“Yet, as stamps don’t have a price on them, most just say 1st or 2nd (or 1st or 2nd large for the bigger ones), on them and there’s no expiry date, buy them now (last date to get them is Sunday) and they are valid in perpetuity after.
“So while it’s only pennies, if you’re going to send even a big batch of Christmas cards, you may as well stock up now, like Simon who said: ‘I bought £500 of stamps when I retired nine years ago and still have about £200 worth. I must have saved a fortune.”
