A number of readers have been in touch to complain about the rising cost of An Post services. Patricia Whelan says: "Until recently the cost to post a letter to the UK was 60 cent and to the US 65 cent. I note that this has increased to 75 cent to the UK and 75 cent to the US. This seems a very steep increase."

She also asks why the cost of sending a letter across the Irish Sea is suddenly the same as sending one across the Atlantic.

Connie Merriman from Dublin, meanwhile, has highlighted even more significant increases.

"Some weeks ago, I priced the cost of posting a packet to South Korea. The packet was weighed and I was told that the postage would be €4.50." She didn't have the address of the recipient of her parcel to hand but she bought €4.50 worth of stamps anyway.

After a couple of days, she went back to mail the packet. "Imagine my shock when I was told that postage rates had been increased and that now the postage for my packet would be €10," an increase of 122 per cent.

An Post divides the world into four zones for the purpose of costs: Ireland, Britain, Europe and the rest of the world.

For sending letters and postcards to anywhere outside Ireland the prices are identical so the zones are irrelevant - it will still set you back 75 cent.

But the price of sending packets varies slightly depending on how far it has to go. Posting a 1kg packet to somewhere in Ireland costs €5.50, rising to €7 for Britain and Europe, while it costs €10 - the price paid by our reader - for a parcel to South Korea.

When we contacted An Post, a spokesman said the flat rate of 75 cent for sending letters weighing up to 100g had been introduced in February to simplify the system and in some cases would work out cheaper. He explained that while postage to Britain on letters weighing up to 50g used to be 60 cent, the cost of mail between 50g and 100g was 85 cent. The cost of posting lighter letters to the US was 65 cent but heavier ones cost €1.20. "We completely restructured the prices and made them simpler," the spokesman said.

He did, however, accept that the vast majority of letters probably weighed less than 50g and would consequently cost more in this new, "simpler" era.

In connection with the parcel issue he said that "under no circumstances" had the cost of sending parcels risen from €4.50 to €10. Sending a package weighing under 500g costs €4.50, while packages over 500g cost €10. He suggested it was possible the parcel had been incorrectly weighed on one occasion or the weight had changed over the few days.

The price increases could have been more significant were it not for the intervention of the communications regulator ComReg, which has refused to sanction a 12 cent increase (from 48 cent to 60 cent) for stamps for standard letters within Ireland. The decision is now the subject of court proceedings. Earlier this week, the High Court granted An Post leave to challenge the regulator's decision. An Post is taking the action because it says the decision threatens its financial recovery.

Value4Money

Heinz Baked Beans 0.72 for 415g 1.73 per kg

Highs: Heinz finished first in the admittedly pretty unscientific blind taste test PriceWatch carried out on the four brands reviewed so there might well be something in the company's oft-touted claim that it means beans. The tomato sauce has a nice, natural taste while the beans themselves are good and solid and aren't prone to disintegration when heated.

Lows: "Check out my salt level," screams the tin. So we do and it is exactly the same as its rivals, so why the fuss? Despite the fact that they taste good, they look awful pale. Anaemic looking and comparatively pricey - the supermodel of the world of beans, maybe.

Verdict: The better bean.

Star rating: ****

Marks & Spencer Baked Beans 0.59 for 420g, €1.40 per kg

Highs: While opening the other tins proved a bit tough on the finger nails, this tin scores bonus points for being remarkably easy to open, however M&S managed it. The sauce has a wonderfully rich and dark colour and looks almost like gravy. It is also really, really sweet.

Lows: In fact, it is way too sweet. You could almost pop open a tin of these, put them with ice cream and serve the concoction as dessert. Given that tin opening is not really much of a skill, the presence of the four-diagram instructions on the top of the tin showing just how it is done seems a little unnecessary. Not as mysterious as the diagrams, mind you, which were more complex than the instructions on a flat-pack Ikea kitchen.

Verdict: Too sweet for most tastes?

Star rating: **

Homestead Baked Beans 0.52 for 420g, 1.24 per kg

Highs: A cheap Irish bean, these are the no-frills, budget option. These tins are fairly widely available and should go easy on your wallet. The sweet-tasting sauce is a nice deep red colour and there is a lot of it.

Lows: In fact, the small little beans look like they are drowning in the stuff. That's not a big minus, mind you, although when poured quickly onto a plate it did display a tendency to wash over the side in big beany waves. Of greater concern is the peculiar aftertaste. A quick glance at the list of ingredients reveals that saccharin has been added to the mix, which could be to blame.

Verdict: Good value, less good aftertaste

Star rating: ***

Batchelors Baked Beans 0.72 for 420g, €1.71 per kg

Highs: As Irish as red lemonade or Tayto, it is good to know that Batchelors still makes a fine baked bean. Each tin contains a higher percentage of both beans and tomatoes than its rivals. The sauce has a lovely rich tomatoey taste which manages to be sweet while retaining a pleasing tang to it. These are also easy to source.

Lows: It's a shame that there isn't more sauce in the tin as it might prevent the beans lumping together. These beans also displayed a ready willingness to fall apart upon heating giving them a slightly mushy appearance on the plate, not that that makes a blind bit of difference to the taste. Of more concern would be the price.

Verdict: Definitely not a has bean.

Star rating: ****