How to save money with the new postage prices
From yesterday, post is no longer charged purely on the basis of weight – the size of a letter or parcel also has to be taken into account.
IT WAS billed as one of the biggest changes to the postal service in recent years.
But within a day of the new sizing system being introduced by the Post Office, customers discovered easy ways to save money, . Sending multiple items in separate envelopes can result in significant savings.
Folding an A4 letter in half before it is priced at the post office counter creates a saving of more than 25 per cent.
Sending goods such as CDs in the smallest envelope possible can also bring savings.
The discoveries will encourage businesses which send out hundreds of letters and small parcels every day to review their postal strategy, with the potential to save thousands of pounds.
Placing two paperback books in an A4 envelope results in a charge of Pounds 2.20 but when the books are put in separate small envelopes each one costs only 90p, a saving of 40p.
The extra envelope, however, creates extra sorting and delivery work for the Royal Mail, which is facing opposition from rival companies.
Placing an A4 letter in an A4 envelope costs 44p because it is classed as a "large letter".
But when the same letter is folded in half and put it in an A5 envelope, the charge is 32p because it is classed as just a "letter".
Customers without a choice of envelope can make the same saving by simply folding an A4 envelope in half and taping it down.
Sending three CDs (in slips rather than boxes) in an A5 envelope costs 44p.
But if they are in an outsize envelope the charge is Pounds 1 – 56p more.
If the CDs are sent separately in three A5 envelopes, it costs 96p (three times the cost of a 32p " letter"). Sending the CDs in their boxes is even more expensive – posting just one in an A5 envelope costs 65p.
Matthew Knowles of the Federation of Small Businesses, which represents 195,000 firms in the UK, said: "We appreciate over the next few weeks there are going to be extra queues at post offices and a lot of confusion.
"We realise the Royal Mail was forced into adopting this new pricing as part of opening-up the postal system to competition.
"It is not allowed to crosssubsidise one part of the business such as parcels with another, such as letters."
However, he criticised the publicity for the changes.
"It was a bit of a blitz with two or three weeks to go," said Mr Knowles. " Slow- burn might have been better.
"Anyone who's been on holiday or threw their leaflet away thinking it was junk mail could have missed it."
Royal Mail has spent Pounds 10million publicising the new system but claims it won't bring in any more money.
A spokesman said: "Royal Mail has introduced the change so its prices more closely – and fairly – reflect the actual cost of collecting, sorting and delivering the mail.
"Many compact, heavy items will be cheaper to post, including many books and magazines. Light bulky items, such as poster tubes, will cost more so that the postage better reflects the additional handling costs.
"All indications are that the majority of people are aware of the changes and most of those understand them."
Costs compared at the counter
. Two slim paperback books sent in one A4 envelope will cost Pounds 2.20 Two slim paperback books in two separate A5 envelopes will cost Pounds 1.80 Saving: 40p . Single page of A4 sent in in an A4 envelope, classed as a larger letter, costs 44p A single page of A4 folded in an A5 envelope, classed as a letter, costs 32p Saving: 12p . Three CDs (without boxes) in an outsize envelope cost Pounds 1 Three CDs sent in separate A5 envelopes cost 96p Three CDs in an A5 envelope cost 44p Saving: 56p
