The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has released the official fuel price adjustments for July, with petrol coming down slightly and diesel seeing a small rise.
According to the official statement released on Monday, the price of 95 Unleaded petrol will fall by 17 cents per litre from Wednesday, July 5, while 93 Unleaded sees a decrease of 24 cents.
It’s less rosy on the diesel front, where 50ppm is set to increase by 12 cents per litre, while the dirtier 500ppm will set you back a further 18 cents.
When the adjustments kick in, you’ll be paying R21.74 for a litre of 95 Unleaded at the coast and R22.46 inland, while the cheaper 93 Unleaded will now cost you R22.06 per litre.
While any price cut is good news, the difference these adjustments make to the cost of a full tank are hardly noticeable.
For instance, putting 32 litres into a small hatchback like the Suzuki Swift will save you just R5.44 at the coast, while a 50 litre refuel of a midsize car, such as a Toyota Corolla, will cost R8.50 less.
If you own a diesel-powered vehicle you’ll be paying between R8.40 and R12.60 more per tank, assuming that you’re putting 70 litres into a bakkie or SUV with an 80 litre tank, like most diesel vehicles have.
According to the DMRE, the international prices for petrol and diesel increased during the month, with the latter seeing sharper inflation. This was in spite of Brent Crude oil prices decreasing slightly from $75.90 the previous month, to $75.10.
However, the rand gained some ground against the US dollar, appreciating from an average of R18.98 in the preceding month to R18.68 in June, and this was sufficient to tip the scales in favour of a small petrol price cut.