Citizens Advice responds to Royal Mail price changes
Citizens Advice responds to Royal Mail price changes
As Royal Mail announces the latest changes to prices for stamps, parcels and Redirection service, Citizens Advice has expressed concern that prices have once again risen above inflation. The national charity calls for Royal Mail to continue to look at how it can make efficiency savings.
Consumers will benefit from changes to second class parcels. The price for posting small parcels will remain the same with the cost of medium parcels being reduced. Citizens Advice is also highlighting how consumers can save money and avoid the price rise on A4 letters by folding the correspondence and using an envelope half the size.
Citizens Advice Chief Executive Gillian Guy said:
“Royal Mail needs to focus on making efficiency savings rather than relying upon raising prices. We are concerned that stamp prices have risen above inflation and households and businesses using Royal Mail’s Redirection service will also face much larger costs. When changing address, the Redirection service is highly useful and helps to prevent identity theft and fraud. With Royal Mail the only firm that offers this service people have no choice but to pay the increased prices.
“It’s good to see Royal Mail being more competitive in the UK parcel market by cutting some second class prices and maintaining the Christmas promotion. But consumers will want to see a fair balance between Royal Mail raising prices and saving money by being a more efficient organisation.”
Notes to editors:
The Citizens Advice service comprises a network of local bureaux, all of which are independent charities, the Citizens Advice consumer service and national charity Citizens Advice. Together we help people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. For more see the Citizens Advice website .
The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free, independent, confidential, and impartial, and available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality.
To find your local bureau in England and Wales, visit citizensadvice.org.uk . You can also get advice online at adviceguide.org.uk
You can get consumer advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 or 03454 04 05 05 for Welsh language speakers
Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales advised 2.3 million clients on 5.4 million problems from October 2013 to September 2014. For full 2013/2014 service statistics see our quarterly publication Advice trends
Citizens Advice service staff are supported by more than 21,000 trained volunteers, working at over 3,000 service outlets across England and Wales.