Royal Mail to push through stamp price increases
Royal Mail will soon push through a two pence rise in the cost of a first-class and second class stamp to 41p and 32p respectively. This move will come in on 6 April 2010 and while it had been expected, there was the potential for a three pence increase in the cost of a first-class stamp but for some reason this option has been rejected in the short term. However, the finances of the Royal Mail are still under pressure and the company has a massive deficit on its final salary pension scheme.
While the move to increase the price of stamps in the UK will have an impact on business costs, in the overall picture it will be fairly minimal and unlikely to have a significant impact upon probability. There is confusion as to why the extra one pence increase in the cost of a first class stamp was not taken up and the situation is ever more bizarre when you consider the state of the Royal Mail finances!
However, what we are starting to see is a transfer of operating costs from the taxpayer to the UK consumer and business arena at a time when the government is still shaping Royal Mail for a potential sell-off in the short to medium term.
Share this..
Related stories
UK government to extend car scrappage scheme
The BBC has learnt that the UK government will this week announce a further extension of the popular car scrappage scheme which compensates motorists for scrapping their old uneconomical vehicles in favour of new eco-friendly models. While the scheme looks likely to be extended from the end of February to the end of March the government is unlikely to inject any more money over and above the £400...
Read MoreOfgem suggests shakeup of energy market
Energy regulator Ofgem has issued a report which contains radical suggestions for the future of UK energy market. The two main suggestions revolve around tenders for energy capacity and renewable energy generation although there is a more radical possibility in the background regarding the creation of a central energy buyer for the UK energy market as a whole. The truth is the UK energy market...
Read MoreWould you dare haggle over the price of a new car?
Many people believe that the UK car industry will come down from the current high in 2010 and will effectively be open to haggling by consumers. The car scrappage scheme has given the sector a massive boost during 2009 but this has now ended and the sector is trying to make up for the impact which the scrappage scheme has had on new car sales. So would you dare haggle over the price of a new car?...
Read MoreUK government looking to change energy policy
The UK government is this morning rumoured to be on the verge of ripping up its historic 12 year energy plan which has seen monumental changes in the UK energy market. Ed Miliband, the energy and climate change secretary, has hinted that the government will bring in new legislation which will increase investment into carbon emission friendly energy sources. It is believed that "capacity payment...
Read MoreUK gas bills hit a record high
It is estimated that the average quarterly winter gas bill for UK households will be something in the region of £616 having been boosted by £120 due to the cold snap at the beginning of 2010. This 20% increase in the average gas bill will see many people pushed into energy poverty spending more than 10% of their monthly income on their utility bills. So where will it all stop? In a nightmare...
Read More