Residents can now nominate a neighbour to receive their parcels so they never miss a delivery , Royal Mail announced yesterday . The move could reduce the number of ‘ red cards ’ which land on doormats to tell householders a package has been returned to the delivery office . Postmen already attempt to deliver parcels to people ’ s neighbours if they are out . But the new service means they can now deliver to a specific friend who lives nearby , in the recipient ’ s absence . Residents can now nominate a neighbour to receive their parcels so they never miss a delivery , Royal Mail announced yesterday ( file picture ) It means people can choose a neighbour who they know well , or who is often in during the day , to sign for a parcel or receive a delivery which will not fit through the letter box . The price of first and second class stamps rose by a penny each yesterday . A first class stamp now costs 63p while second class is 54p – more than double what it was ten years ago . Sending a large letter has gone up by 2p to 95p for first class and by 1p to 74p for second class . Royal Mail , which was privatised in 2013 , said it had ‘ thought carefully about the impact on customers ’ because of ‘ recent tough economic conditions ’ . However critics fear the increase will hit small businesses which depend on the postal service . The price rise is 1.6 per cent for a first class stamp , and 1.9 per cent for second class . John Allan , of the Federation of Small Businesses , said : ‘ If you ’ re a business that relies heavily on the postal service , increases in prices won ’ t be welcomed . ‘ Businesses affected will have to decide whether to absorb it or pass it on to their customers. ’ Royal Mail said the ‘ Nominate a Neighbour ’ scheme would be more convenient for householders and ‘ improve first-time delivery ’ . Sue Whalley , of Royal Mail , said : ‘ This new initiative is great news for our customers as it offers further choice and convenience if there is no one at home . ‘ For our postmen and women it means that they are even more likely to deliver parcels and letters first time rather than having to take items back to the office . First-time delivery of parcels and signed-for items is high in Royal Mail and in the trial delivery offices this improved further. ’ Since 2012 Royal Mail has left parcels with neighbours if the recipient is not in . But critics feared this meant valuable packages could be left with untrustworthy or unfamiliar neighbours . Now customers can nominate a preferred neighbour by visiting their local delivery office , filling out a short form and presenting proof of their identity . Postmen will try to deliver to this neighbour in the first instance , before trying other addresses nearby . It is unclear if using the nominate service , however , will mean that households are now responsible if their parcel then goes missing . Under the old system , when postmen knocked on several neighbours ’ doors , Royal Mail was still responsible if the parcel later went astray . Special delivery items and international parcels requiring a signature are excluded from the scheme .
Postmen can now deliver to a specific friends who lives nearby to recipient . Move could see the number of parcels returned to delivery offices fall . Royal Mail said the scheme would be more convenient for householders .