Big Island Gas Averages Go Flat

After months of fuel prices declining, Big Island gas costs have seemingly flattened with only slight fluctuations in prices over the past week.

Big Island Now has calculated the numbers using AAA’s Fuel Gauge Report and Gas Buddy data.

Average regular fuel prices in Hilo on Monday were $2.82, the same average recorded last week and only a three-cent decrease in the past two weeks. Mid-grade fuel dropped one cent in average this week, compared to $2.93 last week. Premium fuel also saw only a one-cent decrease in average over the past week, averaging $3.04 Monday

Despite the flattened fuel costs, analysis of AAA’s report shows that average fuel prices are still more than a dime lower than prices one month ago for all grades in Hilo. Regular fuel has dropped by 14 cents, while mid-grade has seen a 15-cent decrease and premium fuel has decreased by 13 cents in average over the past month.

In addition to the lower averages on a per-month basis, average fuel prices compared to the same time in October 2014 have decreased in all grades by nearly $1.25. Regular fuel cost $4.07 in average last year, while mid-grade gasoline was an average of $4.16 and premium fuel was an average of $4.23.

Hilo’s  numbers are similar in trend to what’s happening on the west side of the island.

Big Island Now’s calculation of Gas Buddy data from Kailua-Kona shows that regular fuel was an average of $3.09 on Monday, only one cent less that one week ago and only a two-cent decrease in the past two weeks. The two-penny decrease is a major change, compared to a 12-cent decrease in the previous two weeks alone. Mid-grade gasoline was an average of $3.19 on Monday, only one cent less than one week ago, and two cents less in the past two weeks. While premium fuel dropped two cents last week, it rose by two cents to $3.25 in average cost this week.

In Honolulu, the average price of regular fuel cost 11 cents less than Hilo’s average and was 37 cents lower than Kona’s average regular fuel price, margins that have held since last week’s calculations. Residents on Oahu are paying an average of $2.71 for regular fuel, a decrease of just one cent from last week and a total of 16 cents less in the past month.

Diesel buyers in Hilo were paying an average of $4.13 on Monday, a nickel less than one week ago when the average jumped by one penny from what was reported for the previous three weeks. Honolulu diesel buyers are paying $4.44, a three-cent drop after averaging the same for the past two weeks.

National averages for regular fuel on Monday were $2.29, 53 cents less than Hilo’s average and 79 cents less than Kailua-Kona’s prices.

Club member-only prices, such as Costco and HFN, are excluded from this analysis and its averages.