Fuel Prices on the Big Island Fluctuate This Week

Photo credit: Josh Pacheco.

Fuel prices on the Big Island this week are all over the place after a sharp week of increases two weeks ago and slight fluctuations in Hilo and moderate increases last 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.

Regular fuel in Hilo on Tuesday was averaging $2.64, the same fuel average recorded last week. Mid-grade fuel increased by four cents after falling by a penny last week. Premium gasoline dropped by a penny from $2.83 last Tuesday to $2.82.

One month ago, regular fuel in Hilo was seven cents lower than its current average at $2.57. Mid-grade fuel has also risen by seven cents in the past month, up from $2.68, while premium fuel averages have risen from $2.78, a four-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 $0.40 more at an average of $3.04. Mid-grade fuel cost an average of $0.39 more at $3.14. Premium gas cost $0.42 more on average last year at $3.24.

Ever since breaking from frozen averages, fuel averages in Kailua-Kona have fluctuated with increases last week. This week averages have increased in all grade-levels.

Big Island Now’s calculation of Gas Buddy data from Kailua-Kona shows that regular fuel rose by two cents this week to $2.87 up from $2.85. Mid-grade fuel saw similar movement with an increase of one-cent to $2.97 this week. Premium fuel was hanging on tight to a $2.98 average for months. That number broke three weeks ago, increasing to $3.06 on average this week.

In Honolulu, the average price of regular fuel was $0.23 lower than in Hilo. The regular fuel average was also $0.46 lower in Honolulu than in Kailua-Kona. Honolulu fuel purchasers were paying an average of $2.41 on Tuesday, a decrease of two cents in the past week.

Diesel fuel in Hilo is averaging $4.03, one cent more than reported last week. Honolulu diesel buyers were paying an average of $4.00, also one cent more on average compared to last week.

The national average for regular fuel on Tuesday was $2.11, a six-cent increase from last week. The national average is $0.53 less than Hilo’s average this week and $0.76 less than Kailua-Kona’s average price.

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