I am not someone who sees the glass half full or half empty. I am always just happy that there is a glass.
That is why I am always pushing people to view things through a positive lens, and avoid becoming overwhelmed by negativity.
That being said, I am seriously worried about how we are supposed to cope with the rising cost of living.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has indicated a sharp hike in prices for both petrol and diesel in South Africa.
The changes taking effect on 1 March are as follows:
- Petrol 95: increase of R1.46 per litre to R21.60 per litre
- Petrol 93: increase of R1.46 per litre to R21.35 per litre
- Diesel 0.05%: increase of R1.44 to R19.49 per litre
- Diesel 0.005%: increase of R1.48 to R19.55 per litre
- Illuminating Paraffin: increase of R1.21 per litre to R13.19 per litre
This is the first time that South Africans will be paying over R21 per litre for fuel.
Now while at face value that is already enough to get hot under the collar about, these huge increases in fuel prices don’t just mean we will be paying more to fill up our cars.
The cost of almost everything else will increase as well.
When fuel prices rise, so do the costs of producing and transporting raw materials.
These are then the results in the increase in prices of everyday necessities like bread, milk, maize – and virtually anything and everything on our shelves – whether from corner spaza shops or giant retailers.
With millions of South Africans unemployed, over-indebted and/or relying on social grants, increases in the costs of basic necessities will have far-reaching negative effects on our pockets.
In South Africa, the financially vulnerable often live far away from work hubs and city centres.
This means transport costs take a huge chunk out of their take-home income.
A petrol price increase will most likely lead to an increase in the price of public transport.
Many people have to take two to three taxis, buses and trains to get to and from work.
Sadly, most of the people travelling with public transport will not see an increase in their salaries anywhere near the projected increase in the price of transport and other necessities.
For those who own vehicles, here are the top 10 tips from MasterDrive on how to reduce the effect of rising fuel costs:
1. Ensure your vehicle’s maintenance is up-to-date. Not replacing certain parts in your car can considerably affect fuel consumption.
2. Maintaining an adequate following distance and watching 12 seconds ahead helps save fuel as you have more time to react to traffic. You can then slow down and potentially avoid coming to a complete stop.
3. Keeping your revs between 2 500 rpm and 3 500 rpm can reduce your petrol consumption by up to 20%. In diesel vehicles, the rpm can be as low as 2 000.
4. Something else that can contribute to a 20% reduction is keeping your speed low. Travelling at a reduced speed, where possible, has shown to also play a role in reducing fuel consumption.
5. Avoid costly behaviour behind the wheel, such as driving aggressively.
6. Using your aircon judiciously and making sure that open windows do not add to increased wind resistance will also help.
7. Plan your routes. Plenty of petrol can be wasted by not making your route as efficient as possible.
8. Avoid driving with unnecessary items in your car that add to the weight of the vehicle.
9. Avoid idling for longer than 30 seconds.
10. Ensure tyres are properly inflated. Under-inflated tyres increase fuel consumption.
Now is as good a time as any to cut down on luxuries, especially with the Minister of Finance, announcing “sin tax” increases in his Budget Speech last week.
The cost of the following has been adjusted:
340ml can of beer or cider – 11c more
750ml bottle of wine – 17c more
Bottle of sparkling wine – 76c more
Bottle of spirits – R4.83 more
Packet of cigarettes – R1.03 more
25g of pipe tobacco – 37c more
23g cigar – R6.77 more
All of this, added to the horror of electricity tariffs having increased by over 300% in the last 13 years (and set to increase even further) does not bode well for consumers