Cent-By-Cent, Big Island Fuel Averages Drop

Gas prices displayed at Waiakea Chevron in Hilo on Monday, Dec. 21. Photo by Jamilia Epping.

Gas prices on the Big Island continue to drop by cents, bringing average costs down pennies from previous weeks.

The steady pace of fuel average falls have provided month-over-month averages that have dropped considerably over the past year.

Using numbers from AAA’s Fuel Gauge Report, along with Gas Buddy Data, Big Island Now continues to track fuel prices on the Big Island.

In Hilo, regular fuel was an average of $2.56 Tuesday, a drop of four cents compared to last week’s numbers. Mid-grade fuel dropped in average by six cents to $2.65, and the premium fuel average was $2.83 Tuesday, hanging onto last week’s average.

One month ago, regular fuel in Hilo was averaging 13 cents more than its current price at $2.69. Mid-grade and premium fuels were 15 and 10 cents more just one month ago, sitting at $2.80 and $2.93, respectively.

Average fuel prices compared to the same week in December 2014 are lower in average by just under a dollar across the board. At this point last year, regular fuel in Hilo cost $0.99 more at an average of $3.55. Mid-grade fuel cost an average of $0.99 more at $3.63. Premium gas cost $0.91 more on average last year at $3.74.

Fuel in Kona also saw some nice average drops this week. In comparison with data from two weeks ago, fuel dropped by as much as seven cents

Big Island Now’s calculation of Gas Buddy data from Kailua-Kona shows that regular fuel was an average of $2.82 Tuesday, two cents less than what was reported last week and a total of 7 cents down from numbers two weeks ago. Mid-grade gasoline was an average of $2.92, a three-cent decrease in cost compared to last week and a seven-cent overall decrease from two weeks ago. Premium fuel also saw a drop in average at $3.01, three cents less than last week and a drop of seven cents over the past two weeks.

In Honolulu, the average price of regular fuel was reportedly the same as the average in Hilo according to AAA data. However, Honolulu’s fuel average was 16 cents less than Kona’s average. Honolulu fuel purchasers are paying an average of $2.56 on Tuesday, one cent less than last week and just two cents less over the past two weeks.

Diesel buyers in Hilo were paying an average of $4.16 on Tuesday. The average dropped by a penny after jumping eight cents the week prior. Honolulu diesel buyers were paying an average of $4.30, holding onto last week’s average.

The national average for regular fuel on Tuesday was $2.05, a four-cent increase after dropping just under that amount over the course of the prior two weeks. The national average is 49 cents less than Hilo’s average this week and 77 cents less than Kailua-Kona’s prices.

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