USPS seeks more price increases

(WFSB) - For the third time in the last year, the price at the post office is expected to go up.

The United States Postal Service is requesting another price increase to take effect this summer.

“I got to mail,” said Tony Rizzuto, a USPS customer. “I got to use the post office.”

Rizzuto said he comes to the post office almost daily, whether it’s to a mail a bill or ship a package for his business, Hair Forever Centers.

That means if each letter goes up in price, it adds up for him.

“I guess you just got to live with the cost of living, just something you have to live with,” Rizzuto said.

The USPS requested a 5.4 percent price increase for first class mail that would start July 9.

A forever stamp will go from its current price of 63 cents up to 66 cents.

If approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, which is expected, it will be the third price increase since last July.

That would add up to an almost 14 percent increase in just one year.

In its news release, the USPS explained:

“As operating expenses fueled by inflation continue to rise and the effects of a previously defective pricing model are still being felt, these price adjustments are needed to provide the postal service with much needed revenue to achieve the financial stability sought by its Delivering for America 10-year plan.”

It’s something people seem to be getting used to.

“Prices go up, period,” Rizzuto said. “Whether it’s cents, dollars, everything has gone up.”

“It’s gone up a lot, but so has everything else in this world,” said Kathleen Holland of Newington.

Holland said last time she heard prices were going up she stocked up on stamps.

She thought in the long run that she would come out even.

“I kind of look at it that I’m not using as many stamps as I used to because I do my online billing for all of that stuff,” Holland explained. “For me, it’s almost a wash. I don’t know about anybody else.”

The postal service said it is also seeking price increases for other services, such as money order fees and post office box rental fees.

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