Royal Mail Raises Bulk Mail Prices, Adding Cost Pressure for NHS and Large Organisations

Royal Mail will raise the price of its wholesale postal service by an average of 25 % effective October 5. The increase applies to bulk-mail customers such as UK Mail, Whistl and Citipost, which handle marketing letters, household bills and medical appointment notices for organisations including the NHS and HMRC. Specific rate hikes include a 36.1 % rise for letters up to 100 g on the Access Mail Economy service and an 11.4 % rise for larger letters (101-250 g) on the standard Access Advertising Mail service.

The Guardian

The NHS spent at least £100 million on postal letters in 2024; a 25 % price rise could add several million pounds to its annual costs.

The Guardian

Royal Mail’s access-mail volumes have fallen from 6.3 billion items in 2019-20 to about 4.2 billion items currently, a drop of roughly one-third. The company now delivers to 32 million UK addresses and employs 130,000 staff to maintain a nationwide network. Since April 2025 the firm has been owned by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretínský. Royal Mail reported losses of almost £800 million over the last four years, leaving its finances below the level Ofcom deems compatible with a financially sustainable universal service.

The Guardian

Royal Mail’s letter to bulk-mail customers included the statement, “We understand that any price increase is difficult, particularly in the current economic environment,” “We understand that any price increase is difficult, particularly in the current economic environment,” — Royal Mail. Ofcom launched a fresh investigation in June after a quarter of first-class mail arrived late, and the regulator has fined the company £37 million since 2023 for failing to meet delivery targets.

The Guardian

• “We understand that any price increase is difficult, particularly in the current economic environment,” — Royal Mail

The Guardian