DETAILS of the Royal Mail’s radical plans for the biggest change in postal pricing since the Penny Black were released last night.

From September next year postal pricing will focus on size and shape as well as weight under plans approved by the postal regulator Postcomm.

The “Pricing in Proportion” system will mean higher charges for light but large items but cheaper costs for some heavier items, such as books and catalogues.

Customers with bulky or outsized envelopes and packages will have to go to a post office where they can check them against templates.

The changes will see first- class letters weighing up to 100 grams cost 30p to post, whereas those heavier than 60 grams currently cost at least 46p; but a large A4 greetings card weighing less than 60 grams, which at present costs 30p to send first class, will cost 42p to post.

The Royal Mail’s move is expected to affect prices on around 30 per cent of all items posted, with roughly half costing less and half costing more.

It is expected that the changes will make no change to Royal Mail revenue.

Customers with big or bulky items such as posters, video tapes, photographic film and very large greetings cards are likely to find them more expensive to send.

Royal Mail estimates that 20 per cent of stamped mail for consumers and 30 per cent of business mail will be affected by the changes.

Nigel Stapleton, chairman of Postcomm, said: “This is a major change to the way people pay for their post.

“It will promote the development of a successful and growing postal market by allowing Royal Mail to bring its prices much more closely into line with its costs. This is particularly important given the full liberalisation of the postal market in January.”

Postwatch, the postal watchdog, said that 100 per cent of postal users would be affected by the changes. Peter Carr, its chairman, said: “It’s a mistake to think that 70 per cent of mail will not be affected because the price is the same as before.

“The way customers decide on postage will change for 100 per cent of the mail they post. They will have to assess thickness, weight and size every time.”

Royal Mail’s case for the changes was that lightweight mail that is large or bulky costs more to transport, sort, handle and deliver than regular size items.

Postcomm said that the announcement reflected “substantially revised proposals” from Royal Mail after two years of consultation.

In its most recent consultation, the regulator proposed to allow the new charges to be introduced from next April, but the date was put back to allow postal users at least 12 months to prepare.

It has agreed to mitigate some of the effect of price rises for business customers who spend more than £100,000 a year and find the changes add 50 per cent or more to their bill.

Lorna Clarkson, director of commercial policy and pricing, said: “Royal Mail needs to be able to reflect its costs in its prices. This is a small but very welcome step in that direction.

“However, much more needs to be done. Royal Mail will be fighting very hard to achieve fair, fully cost-reflective prices in the current price control negotiations with Postcomm.

“This new system will be fairer for customers, as well as more accurately reflecting the costs to our business.”

Postcomm predicted that most people will find the price of posting a letter will be the same.

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