HILO — Prices at the pump have continued to mercifully decline as the Thanksgiving holiday nears.
On Sunday, the state of Hawaii averaged $4.11 per gallon of unleaded gasoline, according to the AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report at fuelgaugereport.aaa.com. A month ago, the state average was at $4.44 per gallon.
Despite the decreases, however, Hawaii remains the most expensive state in the union to drive in, being the only one whose average sits above the $4 mark. Alaska came in at No. 2 with an average price of $3.985 a gallon. The cheapest gas in the U.S. can be found in Missouri, which average $3.090 a gallon on Sunday.
Sunday’s prices in Hilo ranged from $3.98 a gallon at the Aloha station on Kekuanaoa Street to $4.11 at the Shell station on Kamehameha Avenue, according to the AAA, with the average coming in at $4.046 a gallon.
The Hilo area averaged $4.173 a week ago, and $4.432 a month ago. Prices are currently lower than they were last year in Hilo, when a gallon of unleaded averaged $4.290.
By comparison, prices in Honolulu averaged $4.034 on Sunday, and prices in Wailuku averaged $4.282 per gallon.
Hawaii’s gas prices began dropping in late October after 11 straight weeks of increases.
Despite the price drops, none of the consumers the Tribune-Herald spoke with on Sunday appeared to be under the impression that the lower prices were here to stay.
“I guess it’s a good thing, that they’re lower. But for how long?” asked Jennifer Cardines. “It’s affordable for right now, so we’re buying as much as we can until it changes.”
Casey Lindsey agreed. The driver of a large Ford F-550 with a diesel engine, Lindsey said filling up his gas tank can cost anywhere from $200 to $250, which he does often because he must drive it for work.
“Of course the gas prices will be back up high. Of course,” he said. “I think they just let them come down to make everybody feel good about themselves. … I don’t think we’ll ever see $3-a-gallon gas again.”
