Paraffin users to feel the pain as price doubles

More than 500,000 households that rely on paraffin as a source of energy are set to bear the brunt of record high fuel increases announced on Tuesday. This after the price of paraffin has more than doubled, rising by R11,67 per litre. This means that those who rely on paraffin will now have to spend R23,19 from R11,52.

The department of mineral and petroleum resourcesannounced steepfuel price increases on Tuesday due to the war in the Middle East. But it also gave motorists and households some temporary relief by reducing the general fuel levy by R3 per litre. As of Wednesday, a litre of petrol will cost motorists R3,06 more, while diesel will see a significantly higher hike of between R7,37 and R7,51 per litre.

But the increases will place the most pressure on households. According to Stats SA, in 2023 Gauteng had the highest users of paraffin at 5,1% of households. WATCH |Five things you need to know about the fuel levy relief plan Cosatu spokesperson Zanele Sabela said people still using paraffin as a source of energy in their households were the ones who most needed the relief.

[paywall]

“The fact that this relief doesn’t even talk about paraffin is a real problem, considering that someone who uses paraffin probably doesn’t have electricity,” she said. “The people that need the relief the most are the ones that have been left out in the cold, especially now – it’s starting to get cold. “They are low-earning people and at least about 40% of their wages would be going to transport.

This economy is not geared towards poor people. “Workers already drowning in debt, supporting up to seven relatives each and spending an average of 40% of their meagre wages on transport, will not manage such painful diesel and paraffin, and even petrol price hikes.” Sabela, however, said the government’s R3 a litre fuel levy cut was a positive first step, but much more relief was urgently needed.

[/paywall]