Hilo Sees Slight Increase in Fuel Prices

Fuel prices on the Big Island began to level over the past month after experiencing downward trends over the summer. This week, however, gas prices in Hilo are seeing a slight rise in cost while holding relatively flat with a slight decrease in Kailua-Kona.

Big Island Now continued its weekly fuel watch, calculating the numbers using AAA’s Fuel Gauge Report and Gas Buddy data.

Average regular fuel prices in Hilo on Monday were $2.83, a two-cent increase over last week’s prices and one cent more than what was recorded the previous day. Mid-grade fuel rose by three cents in the past week to $2.92, the same price recorded on Sunday. Premium fuel also saw a rise to $3.08, six cents more than fuel prices recorded the week prior and a four-cent jump overnight.

Analysis of AAA’s report shows that average fuel prices for all but mid-grade fuel are down from one month ago in Hilo, although the margin is dramatically smaller than what last week’s reports listed. Regular fuel has dropped by one cent, compared to 11 cents the week prior. Mid-grade’s current fuel average of $2.92 was the same average as one-month ago. Premium fuel has dropped just four cents, compared to 13 cents reported last week.

Average fuel prices compared to the same time period in October 2014 have seen a drastic drop, despite the shift in fuel average trend. All grades of gasoline have seen an average decrease of at least $1.19. In 2014, regular fuel cost an average of $4.02, while mid-grade gasoline was an average of $4.11 and premium fuel was an average of $4.22.

In Kailua-Kona, fuel price averages saw a different trend than what’s happening in Hilo for the first time in weeks.

Big Island Now’s calculation of Gas Buddy data from Kailua-Kona shows that regular fuel was an average of $3.08 on Monday, an average that has held for the past week, and a one-cent decrease from the previous two weeks. Mid-grade gasoline was an average of $3.16 on Monday, a drop of three cents, after holding steady at $3.19 for two weeks. While unsteady for the past weeks, premium fuel saw an additional one-cent drop in price this week, averaging $3.23.

In Honolulu, the average price of regular fuel cost nine cents less than Hilo’s average and was 34 cents lower than Kailua-Kona’s average regular fuel price, with margins fluctuating just slightly in the past week, dropping by one and three cents, respectively. Oahu fuel buyers are paying an average of $2.74 for regular fuel, a three-cent rise in average, after holding at $2.71 for the two weeks prior and a total of three cents less than one month ago.

Diesel buyers in Hilo were paying an average of $4.18 on Monday, a nine-cent increase over the past week. Honolulu diesel buyers are paying $4.42, a three-cent drop, compared to last week.

National averages for regular fuel on Monday were $2.25, a six-cent decrease, compared to last week. The national average is 58 cents less than Hilo’s average this week and 83 cents less than Kailua-Kona’s prices.

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