How to save petrol

Cape Town - Good news for consumers is that all grades of petrol and diesel prices have been cheaper since Wednesday September 3. Petrol 95 and 93 (ULP and LRP) fell by 67 cents a litre (c/l), while the price of diesel will came down by 25.38 c/l.

However, there is little else to cheer cash-strapped South Africans, with the rand being hit by the unexpected widening of the current account deficit and further interest rate hikes on the horizon.

Read: Rand sinks on current account shock

This makes it even more important to make the most of the petrol reprieve. Fin24 user Phethedi Johannes Matshi offers the following tips:

1. Keep to the speed limit to avoid harsh braking due to excessive speed.

2. There is no need to accelerate downhill.

3. Avoid tyre spin.

4. Remove unnecessary loads from your vehicle.

5. Ensure that your exhaust is inspected and repaired for leaks.

6. Avoid racing on the road; your car might be faster than other models but drivers might not be aware that you are racing, resulting in you incuring a heavy fuel cost unnecessarily.

7. Switch your (petrol) engine off immediately when stopping.

8. Switch your (diesel) engine off only when you stop for an extended time. Diesel is self-combustible and so requires a huge amount to start up; frequent stop-starts will increase fuel consumption in diesel engines.

 - Fin24

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All articles and letters published on MyFin24 have been independently written by members of the Fin24 community. The views of users published on Fin24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent those of Fin24.