Cape Town - For many, the fuel price is merely a number on a pump that they need to pay when filling their tank. But the cost of this essential commodity is much more than that; it is made up of many different costs that, together, constitute what is commonly referred to as the petrol price.

In April the cost of a litre of fuel will be impacted by a 30 cents a litre increase in the Fuel Levy, announced by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan during his budget speech in February.

This will move the Fuel Levy – a tax collected on every litre of fuel sold - from R2.55 to R2.85 a litre. The money collected through the Fuel Levy is administered by the National Treasury, and is treated as a general tax, not, as many people assume, road-related expenses, the Automobile Association (AA) explained on Tuesday.