Shock! Electricity hurts the Justmoney users...

Here at Justmoney, we know that price hikes are something that South Africans have to deal with on an almost monthly basis - that's why we asked you to let us know the extent of the recent electricity hikes on your daily lives. Unsurprisingly, almost every one of you are feeling the pinch.

We asked our users, "What is the impact of the new electricity hike on your lifestyle?" and your response tells us that although you'll all feel the additional strain, you will, as Eskom no doubt hopes, manage to get by.

Some 46% of all respondents polled said "I'll be switching lights off as I walk through the house" pointing to the fact that although you'll be doing what you can to save on your power usage, you won't be reverting to living in darkness or operating your evenings by candlelight.

The next most popular choice in our monthly poll saw Justmoney users saying that they'd feel the pinch, but survive. They may have made these comments before the next wave of prices hikes had arrived, but only time will tell how we will all feel the pinch.

Now, more than ever, it is imperative that South Africans focus their attention on saving themselves money wherever possible. If we are going to see a wave of price hikes over the next year, the average consumer needs to ensure that they are not paying a cent more for their standard goods and services than they should be.

Encouragingly, only 3% of you said that you never look at your monthly power bill - that's what we like to hear - pro-active users who are actively managing and taking control of their finances.

Two things to do this Easter? Budget for an increase here or there by having money tucked away for a rainy day. Then systematically go through your monthly expenses to see where you can save. Fifty rand a month is enough reason to switch accounts or policies - you should never be paying a cent more than you ought to."

The full results of the poll were:

"What is the impact of the new electricity hike on your lifestyle?"

 

• 46% said "I'll be switching lights off as I walk through the house"
• 37% said "I'll be feeling the pinch, but I'll survive."
• 14% said "I'll be reading by candlelight from now on"
• 3% said "I don't even look at my monthly power expense"

 

This month we ask the question "Which current financial change will affect you the most? Electricity hikes, petrol increases, rising food prices or the recent drop in the interest rate... Go to our homepage now to get involved!