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Largely thanks to the addition of the new carbon tax, with a little help from a floundering economy, the price of petrol and diesel will increase by 9c per litre and 33c per litre, respectively. Illuminating paraffin, likewise, will increase by 8c per litre.
This is what you can expect to pay at the pumps this June:
Petrol 95: R16.76 per litre;
Petrol 93: R16.57 per litre;
Diesel (wholesale): R15.21 per litre;
According to Dawie Roodt, Chief Economist at the Efficient Group, consumers will have to brace themselves for difficult times ahead, with all main economic indicators showing that the situation in South Africa is going to become a lot more difficult before we even begin to glimpse a light at the end of the tunnel.
In this article we'll take a look at how to get the absolute most out of your fuel, and hopefully save enough money to survive the month. Some of our tips may seem rather obvious, such as avoiding traffic. Anybody who has ever lived in a city knows that sometimes it’s just better to wait it out. Fighting your way through congestion isn’t just bad for your wallet or your car, but it wreaks havoc on your sanity too.
Take a coffee break, grab a bite to eat and take it easy. Essentially, that’s the whole secret to saving fuel.
Taking it easy.
Here's our comprehensive list of tips and tricks to help you save on petrol.
Some of us still drive older cars, which just aren’t as fuel efficient as the latest models. Technology has really benefited motorists in this regard, but South Africans, in general, are known to hang on to their beloved vehicles for a really long time. We drive it until the wheels come off.
For those people still running vehicles from the 90s or early 2000s, here are a couple of things that you can do to save money.
Sometimes, all your car needs is a little bit of TLC.
Many of the newer cars, particularly hybrids, offer way better fuel efficiency than older cars. This isn’t always the case though – and a newer car isn’t necessary. City dwellers, for instance, would do far better by just buying a cheaper, smaller vehicle.
Many modern features do make our lives easier though, such as start-stop technology, which is essentially an environmentally friendly, fuel-saving on-off system. Drivers of older cars may be familiar with this trick – switching your car off when standing still and idling for a long while. Many motorists also put their car into neutral when waiting at a red traffic light, which reduces load on the engine.
The best way to drive, really, is to avoid the stop-and-start situations entirely. Try to flow with the traffic and maintain momentum as far as possible. Time your approaches to inclines or red lights in order to catch them green and keep on going.
Remember, the economy is tough - it may even be very possible that South Africa will face another recession this year. This ain’t no charity and you’re not running a taxi. If you need to ferry friends or family up and down, there’s no shame in expecting fuel money in return. It’s the least they can do for taking up your time and resources.
On that note, carpooling has always been a great way to save up on petrol bills – with everybody contributing a fair share. Not only is this more efficient and better for traffic conditions, but it’s also safer. Hijackers don’t normally try their luck on a car packed full of people, it’s just not worth the hassle.
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