Price of first class stamp rises to £1.80

The price of stamps has risen again, as the postal service faces criticism for failing to hit delivery targets.

A first class stamp now costs £1.80 - an increase of 10p - while a second class letter has risen by 4p to 91p.

Royal Mail has said the increases are necessary because people are sending far fewer letters while the number of addresses continues to increase.

Many businesses and consumers are unhappy the price rise is going ahead despite the company's performance.

Just 77% of first class letters are being delivered within one working day against a target of 93%.

The latest rise is the eighth increase in five years, and comes at a time when Royal Mail is under growing pressure on several fronts.

In recent weeks, it has faced several complaints from MPs and the public about its letter service.

From next month business account holders also face some higher charges because the Iran war has increased the cost of energy.

It has increased its fuel surcharge by 5% for domestic services and 5.5% for international services from 3 May, saying the decision was not taken lightly.

Ten years ago, a first class stamp cost 64p while a second class stamp was 55p. The latest price increase means a first class stamp is now almost three times more expensive than it was a decade ago.

Announcing the rise last month, Royal Mail's managing director of letters, Richard Travers, said: "We always consider price changes very carefully, balancing affordability with the rising cost of delivering mail."

Dean Morris, who runs a greeting cards business, says delivery times have become slower and less consistent in the last few years.

The impact on his business has been more reputational than economic, he told BBC Breakfast, with customers chasing orders six to seven days after postage.

"Sometimes it feels that second class is literally the last thing that Royal Mail look at, in preference to parcels, but a lot of people use second class, a lot of online retailers use second class, because it is an affordable option for both us and the customer."

The jump in stamp prices over the past few years, together with Royal Mail's poor delivery performance, has angered many consumer groups.

The rise has been criticised by the charity Citizens Advice, which last month said price rises should be tied to performance.

In recent weeks, the Royal Mail has faced several complaints from MPs and the public about its letter service.

Last month, postal workers from across the UK told the BBC they were being asked to move or hide mail from senior bosses so it looked like delivery targets were being met.

The company said it took claims that posties were hiding letters "very seriously", adding 92% of letters were delivered on time.

March also saw Royal Mail bosses answer questions from MPs about the ongoing postal delays. Its owner, Daniel Křetínský, admitted the service was not perfect but said he had a plan to fix the situation.

That came after the chair of the Business and Trade Committee, Liam Byrne, said he was "very concerned" over reports of "significant failures" in Royal Mail's letter service.

In February, the committee wrote to Royal Mail asking for commitments to improve what it described as "chaos" in some postal areas since Christmas.