Fuel Average Builds on the Big Island Over Two-Week Period

Photo credit: Josh Pacheco.

Across the Big Island, fuel prices have built over the past two weeks, increasing in Hilo and Kona.

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 Tuesday, regular fuel in Hilo was $2.63, a five cent increase compared to last week and an eight cent increase compared to numbers two weeks ago. Mid-grade fuel, which was on the decline two weeks ago, has also risen to $2.71 on average, up three cents from last week and five cents from two weeks prior. Premium fuel rose in average by seven cents in the past week to $2.85.

One month ago, regular fuel in Hilo was six cents lower than its current average at $2.57. Mid-grade fuel has risen by four cents in the past month, up from $2.67, while premium fuel averages have risen by from $2.78, a seven cent increase.

Hilo’s average fuel prices compared to the same week in 2015 are down across the board in each category. At this point last year, regular fuel in Hilo cost $0.36 more at an average of $3.09. Mid-grade fuel cost an average of $0.49 more at $3.20. Premium gas cost $0.45 more on average last year at $3.32.

While regular and premium fuel prices were steady in Kailua-Kona for weeks, those numbers have finally begun to show movement.

Big Island Now’s calculation of Gas Buddy data from Kailua-Kona shows that regular fuel, which had held onto its average of $2.79 for two straight months, rose by four cents in the past two weeks. Mid-grade fuel saw similar movement, with an increase of three cents to $2.93 in the past two weeks. Premium fuel was hanging on tight to a $2.98 average, but the number broke and rose to $3.03 in the past two weeks.

In Honolulu, the average price of regular fuel was $0.23 lower than in Hilo. Fuel averages were $0.40 lower in Honolulu than in Kona. Honolulu fuel purchasers were paying an average of $2.40 on Tuesday, an increase of three cents in the past week.

Diesel fuel in Hilo is averaging $4.07, a rise of four cents in the past week. Honolulu diesel buyers were paying an average of $4.06, a one cent increase compared to last week.

The national average for regular fuel on Tuesday was $2.05, increasing by a penny compared to last week. Still, the national average was $0.58 less than Hilo’s average this week and $0.78 less than Kailua-Kona’s average price.

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