Fuel-saving tips as fuel prices set to surge next Wednesday

Motorists are being urged to rethink their driving habits as fuel prices are set to spike sharply next week.

According to the Central Energy Fund, South Africans will see the petrol price rise by R5.41 a litre and diesel by R8.84 from 1 April.

The hike comes on the back of the United States and Israel's war on Iran.

With petrol set to climb above R25 a litre, small changes behind the wheel could make a noticeable difference to your monthly fuel costs.

"When you're looking at a R5 increase in petrol, when you times that by 50 litres, it's R250 extra on a tank of fuel, and that's a substantial amount for anybody," says motoring journalist Ernest Page

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Page says that of the 1,300 kilometres the average South African motorist drives over the course of a month, much of it is spent in traffic.

"It's quite difficult to save as much fuel as you can in traffic because you can't often control the pace of the traffic," he says.

However, there are smarter ways of driving that can reduce petrol consumption, he explains.

"Number one, if you're really trying to save some fuel, the air-conditioning is definitely something you can turn off."

Another cost-saving measure is to drive smoothly with gentle acceleration and avoid harsh braking.

"Don't drive abruptly and don't drive aggressively with your car, because that's when we use the most amount of fuel. It's the sudden acceleration; the sudden braking."

Page says modern cars are equipped with a fuel consumption gauge that will indicate your average fuel consumption.

Certainly, try to monitor that, suggests Page, and, again, in modern cars, make sure the auto-start-stop system is activated.

These systems automatically shut down the engine when the vehicle is stationary and restart it instantly upon releasing the brake or engaging the clutch.

They are designed to reduce fuel consumption by up to 15% in urban traffic.

For those whose car does not have such systems, it can be worth manually switching off the engine in particularly heavy traffic, says Page.

"If you're stopping for less than a minute, then oftentimes, switching off for a minute isn't going to be worth it; if you're going to be stuck for a minute or two, then switching off manually is an option."

Beyond driving style, Page says carpooling, planning trips and avoiding peak-hour congestion can all contribute to meaningful savings.

To listen to Page in conversation with CapeTalk’s Pippa Hudson, use the audio player below: