The number of days people receive letters through the post could be reduced to just three days a week as part of cost-cutting measures put forward by Ofcom.
Industry regulator Ofcom has outlined its options to reform Royal Mail, which could have huge ramifications to how and when people get their mail. It currently operates on a six day week, although MPs last year accused the 500-year-old institution of failing to deliver on that.
Ofcom says people are not getting a "reliable service" and last year fined the company £5.6million. In a statement this morning it has pledged to hold Royal Mail to account to turn things around. To that extent, it has set out two primary options to save millions of pounds and improve the current service.
The first includes making changes to existing first and second class options to letters are delivered three days later than currently, with next day available for urgent missives. The second would be to scrap the six day format and, instead, have letters delivered five or even three days a week.
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Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s Chief Executive, said: “Postal workers are part of the fabric of our society and are critical to communities up and down the country. But we’re sending half as many letters as we did in 2011, and receiving many more parcels.
"The universal service hasn’t changed since then, it’s getting out of date and will become unsustainable if we don’t take action. So we’ve set out options for reform so there can be a national discussion about the future of universal post."
Ofcom says Royal Mail would save between £100million and £200million if letters were reduced to five days. If it switched to three days, it would save between £400million and £650million.
Research by Ofcom has suggested fewer delivery days could still meet most people’s needs as nine in 10 people (88%) say reliability is important for letter deliveries, compared to 58% for delivery on Saturdays (down from 63% in 2020). Participants also revealed they are open to reducing some services and standards – particularly for letters – in the interests of keeping prices down. People also agreed most letters are not urgent, but people still need the option for some important post.
Similar changes to the postal system have also been made by several European countries recently. Among those to reduce the number of delivery days or extended times for letters include Sweden in 2018, Belgium twice since 2020, and Norway and Denmark twice each since 2016.
The price of second class stamps remains capped in the proposals, with prices raising no more than inflation. Ofcom has now invited views from people on the reform options to gauge the impact on people and businesses, including those who are vulnerable and live in remote areas of the country. People are urged to send in their views by April 3 2024, with an update due in the summer.