Price hikes hit hard
Hard-hit consumers face more financial pressure as a number of tariff increases came into effect this week.
Cash-strapped consumers face hikes in electricity tariffs, Metrorail ticket fares and fuel prices.
As of midnight last night, a litre of petrol costs 29 cents more while diesel costs 15 cents more per litre.
Paraffin increased by 31 cents per litre.
City Power tariffs increased by an average of seven percent, and Metrorail users will have to pay as much as R30 more for monthly tickets from 1 July.
Neil Roets, CEO of Debt Rescue, said currently many consumers were over indebted and were on “the knife’s edge”, adding that the tariff hikes of essential services could push some people over that edge.
He said the hikes definitely cause an increase in other goods and services.
“The increase in fuel prices doesn’t just affect the consumers who [use] fuel, but also the cost of goods and services in line with the hike.”
