LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) - The United States Postal Service (USPS) is looking at ways to save money, and one of their possible solutions is to adjust delivery times - which could set some of your deliveries back as much as a full day.

Nothing is set in stone, but the USPS is looking at several ways to cut costs as they, like everyone else, appear to be impacted by the current economy.

The good news? Many people, particularly those in or near larger urban areas, likely won't see much difference. However, the proposed changes could lead to longer delivery times for rural Americans. That means there could be some impact in Louisiana, which has a lot of rural communities and very few major urban areas.

Here's what we know so far about the Postal Service's proposed updates.

The United States Postal Service wants to save money. In order to do that, it's come up with several ideas. One of the proposals is new delivery times that are meant to cut $3 billion from their budget. However, if you live in rural areas, this could mean your mail or packages might take an extra 12 to 24 hours to arrive.

"The proposed changes will maintain the existing 1-5 day service standards for First-Class Mail and are designed to enable the Postal Service to make optimal use of its updated and developing ground network," the USPS said in its proposal announcement. "The streamlined processes for the integration of both mail and packages, will ensure efficiency and timeliness by enabling an integrated delivery network that avoids duplication and complexity. The refinements within the existing service standards are projected to enhance service reliability and predictability, crucial aspects of the Postal Service's commitment to universal service."

"Moreover," it went on to read, "these modifications are anticipated to yield significant cost reductions for the Postal Service, with an estimated saving of approximately $3 billion annually. This aligns with the organization's mandate to be financially self-sufficient, while continuing to deliver to every address across the nation."

The agency will host a "pre-filing virtual conference" to allow for public comments.

"The Postal Service will consider the comments received during the virtual conference and will thereafter file its formal request asking for an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC)," the USPS said. "After receiving an advisory opinion from the PRC, the Postal Service will consider the Commission's opinion and finalize its decision."

However, it's not all good news. A combination of higher prices and slower delivery could mean fewer customers for USPS, which would cause further financial woes for them. It would, CBS News notes, "come at a time when the postal service has already seen a sharp drop in first-class mail volume, which has slipped to 28% to 46 billion pieces in 2023 from almost 64 billion pieces in 2014, according to USPS data."

The Postal Service has amassed more than $87 billion in losses from 2007 through 2020.