THE cost of posting a letter is to increase by the end of the month while sending parcels will be cheaper, Jersey Post has announced.
The firm cited changing consumer habits, paying its employees the living wage and the need to ensure that the postal service remains “viable” as reasons behind its decision.
The cost of sending a letter locally and to the UK has been frozen for the past two years but changes will take effect on 28 January.
From that date a local letter will cost 80p to post – up from 60p, while Islanders posting letters to the UK will see the cost rise by 37%, from 98p to £1.35.
The price of sending letters to Europe and to the rest of the world will not increase so sharply, rising from £2.25 to £2.30 and from £2.95 to £3 respectively.
However, customers wanting to send a parcel will pay less from the end of the month.
The cost of sending a parcel within Jersey will decrease by 12% (from £7.60 to £6 for a 2kg parcel) and by 18% to the UK (from £14.32 to £12 for a 2kg parcel). Parcels to Europe will see a marginal reduction of 1%, whereas posting a parcel to the rest of the world will soon cost 14% less.
Jersey Post Group’s chief executive Mark Siviter said the company had to make “some tough decisions to ensure we have a sustainable and viable service for the future”.
He added: “The way customers use our service is changing; in particular, people are sending fewer cards and letters.
“We need to cover the costs of running our Post Office network, and think it’s right we pay our hardworking posties the living wage.”
A full list of prices can be found at: jerseypost.com/pricing.
