Weekly Fuel Costs Clench Steady Averages

The general trend of fuel prices thus far in 2016 continues this week.

Hilo fuel averages are seeing weekly cent-by-cent fluctuations, this week being on the down end, while Kona prices remain deadlocked in motionless averages.

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.

On Monday, regular fuel in Hilo dropped by a penny to $2.54, compared to last week’s average. Mid-grade fuel dropped by three cents to $2.63 after hanging on to a two-week average of $2.66. Premium fuel dropped by two cents to $2.75.

One month ago, regular fuel in Hilo was one cent less than its current average. Mid-grade and premium fuel are clinging onto the same averages reported one month ago this week.

Average fuel prices compared to the same week in 2015 remain lower across the board. At this point last year, regular fuel in Hilo cost $0.55 more at an average of $3.09. Mid-grade fuel cost an average of $0.48 more at $3.11. Premium gas cost $0.46 more on average last year at $3.21.

Kona fuel averages won’t budge with another steady week of fuel price averages. Big Island Now’s calculation of Gas Buddy data from Kailua-Kona shows that regular fuel has held onto its average over the last seven weeks of $2.79. Mid-grade fuel again saw no movement, hanging on to an average of $2.89, as did premium fuel at an average of $2.98 on Monday. The fuel averages in Kona have begun the month of March the same way they were locked in for nearly the entire month of February.

In Honolulu, the average price of regular fuel was $0.21 cents lower than in Hilo. Fuel averages were $0.46 lower in Honolulu than in Kona. Honolulu fuel purchasers were paying an average of $2.33, a drop of two cents in the past week and a total drop of 14 cents in the past month.

Diesel fuel in Hilo is averaging $4.03, one cent less than last week’s average. Honolulu diesel buyers were paying an average of $4.05, four cents less on average compared to last week.

The national average for regular fuel on Monday was $1.81, a seven-cent drop over the past week. In addition, the national average is $0.73 cents less than Hilo’s average this week and $0.98 less than Kailua-Kona’s average prices.

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