Fuel Costs
Budgeting for fuel: how to estimate your monthly spend, what moves the pump price and the habits that reduce the bill.
For most South African drivers fuel is the second-largest monthly motoring cost after the instalment, and it is the one that fluctuates most. Pump prices are adjusted monthly and reflect the international oil price, the exchange rate and a set of taxes and levies. You cannot control any of that, but you can control how much fuel your car uses, which comes down to the vehicle you choose and how you drive it.
To budget, estimate your monthly kilometres honestly, apply a consumption figure a little above the official one, and multiply by the current price of the fuel your car uses. Revisit the number when the price changes. Choosing a car with genuinely good economy for your kind of driving, and keeping it maintained, does more for the fuel bill than any single driving trick.
Fuel Costs — questions
The questions people ask about fuel costs, answered plainly.
How do I work out my monthly fuel cost?
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Estimate your monthly distance, divide by one hundred and multiply by your car's consumption in litres per hundred kilometres to get litres used, then multiply by the current pump price. Use a consumption figure somewhat above the official one to be realistic. Keep a note of the trip computer's average once you own the car and refine the estimate.
Why does the fuel price change every month?
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South African fuel prices are adjusted at the start of each month based mainly on the international price of refined fuel and the rand-dollar exchange rate over the previous period, plus fixed taxes and levies. When oil rises or the rand weakens, the price goes up, and vice versa. Diesel and petrol are adjusted separately and do not always move together.
What is the cheapest way to cut my fuel bill?
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Change how you drive. Accelerate gently, look ahead to avoid unnecessary braking, keep highway speeds moderate and switch off the engine in long queues. Check tyre pressures monthly, remove roof racks and unnecessary weight, and keep up with servicing. These habits cost nothing and together make a real difference over a year.
Do hybrids really reduce fuel costs?
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In urban driving, meaningfully. A hybrid shuts the engine off when stopped and uses its electric motor for low-speed driving, which is where petrol engines are least efficient. On long highway trips the advantage narrows. If your driving is mostly in town, a hybrid version of the car you want will usually pay back its higher price over time.
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