The cost of posting a sealed letter will drop from 32p to 30p in April, the first decrease in postal charges in the history of the State. However, this Christmas will be the last time An Post's customers will be able to save money by posting their cards in unsealed envelopes, as the 28p tariff is to be abolished.
The new 30p rate will apply to all letters up to 25g posted to addresses in the Republic and the UK, whether they are sealed or unsealed. The cost of sending a letter to other EU countries will remain at 32p, with the charge for non-EU European countries reduced from 44p to 32p.
The new standard domestic rate of 30p will also apply to envelopes larger and heavier than those that currently qualify for the 32p and 28p charges. The size of items that can be posted at the standard charge will increase from DL (a third of A4 size) to C5 (half A4), while the weight allowed will increase from 20g to 25g.
However, the cost of registered post will go up, with the basic fee increasing from £1.05 to £1.70. Compensation for registered post will increase from £20 to £100.
An Post says the restructuring of postage rates will benefit its customers by over £2 million, and will affect 400 million items or 70 per cent of letters handled each year.
An Post's chief executive, Mr John Hynes, said the price restructuring was in response to customer demand for simplification of services. An Post says the standardisation of services and rates will also help the company deal with competition from abroad, particularly from multinational courier services who seem likely to diversify into mail.
