Remember to fill up – fuel is increasing today

Pretoria motorists are advised to fill up their tanks as the increase in fuel prices comes into effect from today. 

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy published the latest official fuel price adjustments earlier this week.

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Unleaded petrol of both grades (93 and 95) will rise by R1.21 a litre, bringing the Gauteng price of 95 unleaded petrol to R24.45 a litre, while the coastal price will reach R23.73.

Diesel (0.05% sulphur) will increase by R1.05 a litre, while 0.005% sulphur will increase by R1.18 a litre. This leaves the Gauteng wholesale price at R22.41, with the coastal price rising to R21.69.

The wholesale price of illuminating paraffin will be hiked by 64c a litre, and the maximum retail price for LP gas is going up by 41c per kg.

Automobile Association (AA) said the main driver behind the increases is higher international product prices in addition to the higher average rand/US dollar exchange rate. 

It added that while the weaker rand is contributing a small margin to the under-recovery and increase in prices expected next month, the overall picture looks bleak, and consumers will feel the pinch. 

Here are five ways to ensure that you save fuel: 

1. Keep tires pumped up: Tires that are underinflated have a higher rolling resistance on the road. This means that with every kilometer traveled, your tires generate more friction and rolling resistance, and hence, will increase fuel consumption.
2. Drive with AC: Driving with the windows down at speeds faster than 80km/h causes a lot of wind resistance and costs you a lot more fuel. Contrary to what you may think, in this situation, it’s simply more fuel-efficient to drive with the aircon on.
3. Don’t go too fast or too slow: When cruising down a highway, your engine works hard to overcome wind resistance. You’ll burn up to 15% more fuel at 100 km/h and 25% more at 110 km/h. That might tempt you to drive slow, but if you drive slower than 50 km/h, your engine would drop to a lower gear, thus using up more fuel. In conclusion, a steady 50 – 90 km/h on the highway is best to achieve optimal fuel economy.
4. Plan your rush hour route: Stop-start traffic puts a lot of pressure on your engine, thus burning more fuel. When possible, plan your commute to and from work carefully to help you avoid the worst of peak traffic.
5. Don’t stay idle for long: If you are waiting for something or someone for more than three minutes, turn off your engine. You may not be moving but as long as your engine is on, it’s burning precious fuel.

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