Royal Mail is set to deliver Second Class letters on alternate weekdays – still within three working days of collection Monday to Friday
The regulator Ofcom says that the reform was needed as the number of letters sent each year has more than halved.
With fewer letters being delivered to each house on a given round, the cost of delivering each letter has increased, and Royal Mail has lost hundreds of millions of pounds in recent years.
Urgent reform they say is needed for the universal service to survive.
“To put the service on a more sustainable footing, to prevent people from paying higher prices than necessary, and to push Royal Mail to improve reliability, Ofcom has today made changes to the obligations imposed on the company.”
Natalie Black, Ofcom’s Group Director for Networks and Communications, said: “These changes are in the best interests of consumers and businesses, as urgent reform of the postal service is necessary to give it the best chance of survival.
“But changing Royal Mail’s obligations alone won’t guarantee a better service – the company now has to play its part and implement this effectively. We’ll be making sure Royal Mail is clear with its customers about what’s happening, and passes the benefits of these changes on to them.
The regulator says that as part of this process, they have been listening to concerns about increases in stamp prices. So have launched a review of affordability and plan to publicly consult on this next year.”
They estimate Royal Mail could realise annual net cost savings of between £250m and £425m with successful implementation of this change, enabling it to invest more in improving its delivery performance.
Royal Mail has been told to hold regular meetings with consumer bodies and industry groups to hear about the experiences of people and businesses as it implements these changes.
