Kona Fuel Sees Moderate Average Increases After Stalling

After sharp increases in fuel averages last week, the Big Island saw slight fluctuations in Hilo fuel averages and moderate increases in Kona this week.

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 was $2.62, a one-cent increase from last week. Mid-grade fuel took a one-cent fall this week, along with premium gasoline, to $2.70 and $2.82, respectively. Last week, mid-grade and premium fuel each rose by three and seven cents.

One month ago, regular fuel in Hilo was nine cents lower than its current average at $2.53. Mid-grade fuel has risen by six cents in the past month, up from $2.64, while premium fuel averages have risen from $2.76, a six-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 $0.48 more at an average of $3.10. Mid-grade fuel also cost an average of $0.48 more at $3.18. Premium gas cost $0.46 more on average last year at $3.28.

While regular and premium fuel prices were steady in Kailua-Kona for weeks, those numbers started to move last week with increases again this week.

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 six cents in the past three weeks, half of which occurred in the past week alone, averaging $2.85. Mid-grade fuel saw similar movement with an increase of six cents to $2.96 in the past three weeks, also half the increase that occurred in the past week. Premium fuel was hanging on tight to a $2.98 average for months. That number broke two weeks ago, increasing to $3.05 on average this week.

In Honolulu, the average price of regular fuel was $0.19 lower than in Hilo. The regular fuel average was also $0.42 lower in Honolulu than in Kona. Honolulu fuel purchasers were paying an average of $2.43 on Monday, an increase of three cents in the past week.

Diesel fuel in Hilo is averaging $4.02, the same as reported last week. Honolulu diesel buyers were paying an average of $3.99, four cents less on average compared to last week.

The national average for regular fuel on Monday was $2.04, decreasing by a penny compared to last week. The national average was $0.58 less than Hilo’s average this week and $0.81 less than Kailua-Kona’s average price.

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