The use of e-mail, texting and other alternatives to the United States Postal Service has become common among people across the country, contributing to a nationwide decline in mail volume that has prompted rate increases.

The United States Postal Service proposed raising the price of stamps to 46 cents from 44 cents. The Postal Service has been losing money due to declining mail volume. The Postal Regulatory Commission will approve or deny the increase within 90 days.

“We still use it but I guess on a limited basis if we have to,” said Bobby Adams, owner of Racquethause Health and Fitness on the North Expressway. “(Our) most common communication is through telephone or e-mail.”

He said the business primarily uses the Postal Service for shipping or billing.

He said businesses are often encouraged to go green and using electronic communication as much as possible is one way to do that.

Brittany Partin, a sales associate at Griffin Jewelers, uses the Postal Service three or four times per month for bills and cards. “I don’t think it would affect how often I use them,” she said when asked if any increase would affect her mailing habits.

She said Griffin Jewelers has customers in California and Florida to ship items to.

When asked if raising stamp prices or reducing the number of days of service is the better solution to the Postal Service’s problems, she said raising the rate would be the better solution. She said people still need to receive important mail like bills at the usual time.

“That’s all I use,” said Andrea Wilkes of Griffin. “Post office. I don’t use (any) Internet, nothing else.”

She does not have a computer, so she does not have e-mail. She uses the Postal Service two to three times per week for bills and letters.

She said that it seems like the rate increases are occurring frequently. She has had to buy additional 1-cent, 3-cent and 5-cent stamps in order to use her 39-cent stamps.

Joe McKaughan, public relations director of the Main Street Players, said in an e-mail to The Griffin Daily News that the Main Street Players sends out 2,000 cards at a bulk nonprofit rate to promote its shows, a strategy he said is successful.

He said the organization is frugal with its funds. If mailing rates are increased, the Main Street Players will need to limit its mailings to ZIP codes in Spalding, Fayette, Henry, Pike and Coweta counties, eliminating Clayton and Fulton.

When asked if raising the stamp price or reducing the number of service days would be better, McKaughan favored reduced service days.

He emphasized that the Griffin post office has always been a big help to the organization.

— The Associated Press contributed to this story.