The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) may extend delivery times for some customers as it seeks to cut billions in annual operating expenses.

In an Aug. 22 statement, the USPS said it is holding a pre-opening meeting to discuss “plans to improve mail processing and delivery” across the country. While some customers can expect improved delivery times — particularly those who live within 50 miles of the largest processing facilities — others who live in more rural areas won’t be so lucky.

“Depending on location, time and distance, the expected delivery time for some postcode pairs will be extended,” the press release states. It is not stated exactly how many postcodes could be affected. Newsweek has contacted the USPS via email for clarification.

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According to a USPS spokesperson to CBS MoneyWatch, under the proposed changes, mail would continue to be delivered within current service standards of two to five days. They said most rural mail is currently delivered in three days or less, and that will largely not change.

However, they said delivery of mail from some rural areas could take 12 to 24 hours longer, but is still within the two-to-five day time frame. In some cases, mail that would previously have taken three days to reach its destination may now take four days.

According to the USPS fact sheet on the planned changes to the postal network, these would have no impact on 75 percent of first-class mail.

No plans will be implemented until after the November elections and the peak holiday season (from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve).

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If the changes are implemented, the service’s operating costs could be reduced by around $3 billion.

“By integrating our transportation, processing and delivery network to logically sequence mail and package flow through the implementation of improved operating practices across our redesigned facility network, we expect to improve service reliability, reduce costs and grow our business,” Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said in a statement.

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DeJoy also said The Washington Post that the measures are intended to “save the postal service”.

“At the end of the day, I think some of the mail is arriving 12 hours late. I think that’s the price we’ve had to pay for neglecting this place,” he said. “If you look around in any other country, delivery takes longer and is much more expensive. We’re trying to save the Postal Service — not figuratively, not to advocate for something. We’re trying to save the Postal Service literally.”

Any changes to the Postal Service’s standards must be approved by the USPS Board of Directors and reviewed by the Postal Regulatory Commission.