Petrol price hikes in September are worse than feared

The AA has warned motorists to brace for huge fuel hikes in September, based on unaudited data from the Central Energy Fund.

The department of mineral resources & energy has confirmed the price hikes to be implemented on Wednesday.

In the case of petrol it’s even worse than feared, with the retail price of both grades of petrol to rise by R1.71/l . That includes a 5c increase in the retail margin of petrol to accommodate the wage increases of pump attendants, cashiers and administrative staff at service stations, the department said.

The increases are the highest since July 2022 and mean 95 unleaded will cost R24.54/l with 93 unleaded priced at R24.14/l inland.

As predicted last week, there are record hikes to the wholesale price of diesel, with high sulphur 0.05% diesel to go up by R2.84/l , with low-sulphur 0.005% diesel rising by R2.76/l. Illuminating paraffin goes up by R3.70/l.

The department attributed the hikes to increases in international fuel prices for the period under review, with the rand depreciating against the dollar.

The increases — especially diesel — would negatively affect consumers as higher input costs would be recovered through higher prices at the till, the AA said. It said motorists would feel the pinch in higher prices at the pumps, but consumers across the board could expect higher prices for goods and services.

FUEL PRICES EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 6:

INLAND