Heating a house with just gas will put a dent in your wallet.
For households turning to gas this winter, the real cost is often determined not by the price of the refill but by how quickly cold weather burns through it.
Earlier this week, analysis of the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources data showed that the difference between some of South Africa's cheapest and most expensive regulated LPG zones is just R13.50 on a standard 9kg cylinder. Retail prices across major centres also showed surprisingly little variation, with many 9kg refills selling for around R365.
Yet South Africa's vastly different winter climates mean households can face very different heating bills despite paying broadly similar prices for gas.
To illustrate the difference, we modelled a typical 150m² three-bedroom home with a 30m² open-plan lounge and dining area, a 13.5m² main bedroom and two 9.5m² bedrooms.
