Postage to be based on size, shape, weight from Sept’06 |
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Published
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Thu, 18 Aug 2005 19:05
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The size, shape and weight of your mail will determine the postage you have to pay from September 2006, according to a new plan by Royal Mail. Regulator Postcomm has shown the green flag to the plan by which the prices on around 30 percent commercial mail and 20 percent of residential mail will be altered. The change is not expected to affect the overall revenue of Royal Mail.
Accordingly, larger yet lightweight parcels will cost more. The Royal Mail explained that mail which was large or bulky yet lightweight, required more care and consequently more cost (compared to regular-sized mail), in handling, sorting, transporting and delivering. Some heavier items would also be charged less as per the new plan.
E.g. The first class postage for a large letter, in a 25mm thick envelope and weighing 750g, will drop from its current £2.71 to £1.23. In contrast, the postage for a large greetings card that weighs less than 60g will increase from 30p to 42p. Roughly, half the category of mail will cost more than it does now and half will cost less.
Customers will be able to determine the mailing cost by measuring their mail on templates provided at every post office.
Lorna Clarkson, Royal Mail’s director of commercial policy and pricing, said the new plan aims to make pricing reflect the costs of posting more accurately. It will also be fairer to the customers.
Postcomm chairman Nigel Stapleton said the price revision was a necessary development ahead of the liberalisation of the postal services market. In January 2006, the 350-year-old Royal Mail will cease to be a monopoly as the market will be opened up to private organizations.
This revision of pricing was earlier planned for April 2006 but was put back to September 2006.
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