The Post Office in Sherwood will be lost next week, fuelling concerns that poorer residents will lose out.
Alongside postal services, the corner shop in Greggs Wood Road will also be stripped of machines allowing gas and electricity meters to be topped up.
This is because shop owner Dee Patel has resigned as Postmaster, a position in which he looked after services in a franchise agreement.
Until another shop agrees to host the facility, or an alternative venue can be found, the nearest branches are in High Brooms and Tunbridge Wells town centre.
Tunbridge Wells Borough Councillor for Sherwood Bob Backhouse said less affluent residents may be forced to spend £5 on travel to another Post Office only to top up their pay-as-you-go amenity by £5.
“Losing the gas and electricity pay station terminals will disadvantage people on benefits and low income who are not in a position to pay by direct debit,” said the councillor.
“Mr Patel has been going for more than 30 years and people rely on the shop. There is nothing else [equivalent to it in the ward].
Mr Patel was contractually unable to comment, other than to confirm services would stop on Tuesday [January 16] from 1pm.
A spokesman from The Post Office said they are ‘doing all they can’ to restore services in Sherwood, and that anyone interested in running a Post Office should call 0845 601 6260.
