Why millions of letters could soon take even longer to arrive via Royal Mail

Royal Mail will take longer to deliver millions of business letters as part of a trial ahead of official changes to regulations.

Watchdog Ofcom will consult on a review of postal services next year, including plans to reduce second class deliveries to alternate working days.

But Royal Mail is preparing to introduce changes for bulk letters, such as invoices, bank statements and some NHS letters, before that.

It comes at a critical time for Royal Mail owner International Distribution Services, which is being bought by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky.

The sale is being investigated under national security legislation.

Royal Mail must deliver letters six days a week to 32 million homes for the fixed price of a stamp, under the Universal Service Obligation.

The postal service has been pushing for change for four years, saying the compromise costs it £2m a day.

Under rules being considered by Ofcom, households would receive second-class mail on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays one week, then Tuesdays and Thursdays the next, with letters arriving within three working days.

However, Royal Mail plans to release changes to bulk business letters ahead of Ofcom’s decision to give customers more time to prepare.

The current service, which allows second-class letters to be delivered on two days and includes Saturdays, will be phased out if Ofcom gives the go-ahead in early 2025 for the changes to take place later that year.