More good news for Joburg residents as fuel prices across the board will decrease in September for the fourth consecutive month this year.
Unaudited data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) is showing that 95Un-leaded Petrol (ULP) is set to drop by around R0.94/l, and 93ULP by around R0.86/l. The wholesale price of diesel is expected to decrease by around R0.76/l, while the cost of illuminating paraffin will drop by almost R1.01/l.
“The reason for this is the perfect combination of a strengthening Rand/US Dollar exchange rate since the middle of August, and significantly lower international oil prices which dipped around mid-August and increased the over recovery on the fuel prices in the period under review,” said the Automobile Association(AA) in a statement.
The Association says if the predicted decreases materialise, the cumulative impact of the last four decreases is substantial. Considering, for instance, 93ULP Inland, the amount of the decrease to around R2.44/l which in total will bring about a saving of around R122 on a 50/l petrol tank.
In addition to the predicted fuel price decreases for September, consumers should expect the fuel retail margin increase that will come into effect next month. The Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, has approved an increase of around R0.05/l to the fuel retail margin which kicks in with the official adjustment for September. This may affect the total decrease amounts but only marginally.
“Lower fuel prices are good news for all consumers; apart from the immediate impact of buying cheaper fuel, input costs across various sectors are not impacted by higher fuel costs. At a time when most South Africans are still struggling to make ends meet, this is welcome news for all.
“However, motorists wanting to fully benefit from lower fuel prices must also ensure their vehicles are in good mechanical condition, as this ensures better fuel economy,” said the AA.
“A vehicle that is properly serviced and maintained, and whose tyres are inflated according to manufacturer’s specifications, will have better fuel usage than a vehicle that isn’t properly maintained.
“Regular servicing, even when seemingly a financial burden, is crucial for fuel economy and a deterrent to future costly failures or breakdowns,”
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