Delivery charges cost Britain's online shoppers an average of £136 a year – but we are happy to shell out this cash for the convenience it gives us, new research suggests.

The figure was arrived at by satellite navigation company Trimble from a survey of 1,000 adults. Extending the result across the whole of the UK, Trimble calculated that we spend a total of more than £3.5billion a year on delivery charges.

As the cost of fuel continues to rise, and it becomes easier to order a wider range of goods from our homes, British shoppers appear happy to pay the average £2.99 cost of having goods delivered to their door.

Four in 10 of those questioned said they were willing to pay a premium for next-day delivery, while 22 per cent believed the extra cost of being able to specify a two-hour delivery window was worth it.

On the other side of the coin, a quarter of respondents said delivery charges were too high.

Mark Forrest, general manager of Trimble’s Field Service Management Division, told Postandparcel.info that the home delivery era was “here to stay” in retail, and providing a good service had a major impact on customers' perceptions of retailers.

“Effective delivery is critical to a positive service experience, but the study shows that many companies are not meeting their customers’ needs,” he said.