Some petrol stations are closing at night: Here’s why
A number of petrol stations now close at night, forcing motorists to have to search for a filling station that is open in the dark. It can be frustrating having to fill up your car at night when streetlights are off, traffic lights do not operate, potholes can’t be seen and there’s no operating petrol […]
A number of petrol stations now close at night, forcing motorists to have to search for a filling station that is open in the dark.
It can be frustrating having to fill up your car at night when streetlights are off, traffic lights do not operate, potholes can’t be seen and there’s no operating petrol station in sight!
Several petrol stations can no longer afford to stay open 24 hours a day. This has resulted in some of them closing up at night.
IMPACT OF LOADSHEDDING
Load-shedding is the reason why several petrol stations are not able to operate 24 hours a day, according to TopAuto.
South Africa’s ongoing energy crisis is affecting all corners of the country’s economy including petrol stations.
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RELIABLE POWER SUPPLY REQUIRED
Fuel stations need a reliable power supply to be able to provide their services. The forecourt and the convenience stores located on their premises need power supplies to be able to operate.
Many petrol station owners have installed costly heavy-duty generators to overcome lengthy periods of load-shedding. But not all can absorb the cost of large commercial generators as well as the cost of the fuel to run them.
INCREASED OPERATING COSTS
The South African Fuel Retailer’s Association (FRA) has said that load-shedding remains an ongoing threat to the country’s fuel retailers, causing their costs to rise.
Petrol stations generally operate 24 hours a day, which means they are ever more reliant on generators for backup power, FRA chief executive Reggie Sibiya told IOL.
Crippling power cuts are increasing operating costs for fuel stations. Generators and the fuel required to keep them going increase expenses and eat into profit margins for business owners.
While some petrol stations have been able to weather the load-shedding storm over the past years, not all are able to foot the cost of backup power supplies.
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