Petrol / Fuel Cost Calculator ☆ Stoor

The annual figure is the useful one

Fuel gets paid for in small, forgettable amounts, which is exactly why the yearly total surprises people — it is frequently larger than bills the household worries about far more.

Once you have the number, it becomes useful in three concrete ways.

1. It changes which car you should buy

Consumption over several years can exceed the price difference between two vehicles. So compare on total cost of ownership, not sticker price:

• Model your genuine monthly distance here — commute, school run, weekends — rather than an optimistic estimate;
• Add insurance, licensing, servicing and tyres;
• Add finance costs from the vehicle finance calculator, and remember a car is a depreciating asset;
• Then compare the two vehicles.

A cheaper car that drinks fuel is regularly the more expensive choice over five years.

2. It prices where you live

This is the calculation almost nobody runs before signing a lease or an offer to purchase. Cheaper rent further out is often not cheaper once you add fuel — and that is before valuing the hours.

Work out the monthly fuel cost of each commute and add it to the rent or bond instalment. A R2,000 saving in rent that costs R1,500 more in fuel is a R500 saving for a substantially longer day. Test the housing side in the rent vs buy calculator or the bond calculator.

3. It makes a large budget line visible

Transport is among the biggest and least examined household costs. With the annual figure in front of you, the levers are obvious — and several are painless:

• Combining trips, which is free;
• Lift clubs for a regular journey, including the school run;
• Keeping the car serviced and tyres correctly inflated — consumption worsens measurably as maintenance slips;
• Driving style — hard acceleration and high sustained speeds cost real money over a year.

Whatever you free up, move it deliberately — to an emergency fund via the savings calculator, or against debt costing 21–28% using the debt payoff planner. Money that is merely "saved" without being moved gets absorbed.

If you claim travel for tax

If you receive a travel allowance or use your vehicle for business, a logbook is not optional — SARS requires one to support a claim, recording opening and closing odometer readings and business kilometres.

Without it a claim is likely to be disallowed, and this is one of the more commonly rejected deductions. Start the logbook at the beginning of the tax year rather than reconstructing it afterwards, and see the tax refund calculator for the wider picture on claims.

Frequently asked questions

What fuel price should I use?

The price you actually paid most recently. We deliberately do not publish a pump price — it changes monthly, and a stale figure would distort your whole budget.

How do I find my car's real consumption?

Fill the tank, note the odometer, drive normally, then refill and divide litres used by kilometres travelled. Two or three cycles give a realistic average — manufacturer figures are usually optimistic against real conditions.

Is it worth changing cars to save fuel?

Only if the saving exceeds the cost of changing — including transaction costs and any new finance. Run both vehicles' total cost of ownership before deciding; the answer is often no.

Does this help with a business?

Yes. If you deliver or travel to customers, fuel is a direct cost that belongs in your pricing — and one of the overheads most commonly left out. See the business funding calculator for the wider cost picture.

Fuel prices change regularly and are deliberately not published here — use your own most recent price. SARS logbook requirements apply to travel claims; confirm current rules with SARS or a tax practitioner. General information, not financial advice.