Gas prices in West Hawaii have edged up nearly a quarter since mid-February, an analysis of GasBuddy.com and AAA data shows.
Fueling up on the leeward side of the Big Island — excluding the Waikoloa resort area where prices are normally higher — cost drivers $3.57 per gallon between Monday (June 8) and Friday (June 12), an analysis of a week’s worth of GasBuddy.com data from the Kailua-Kona, Waimea, Kealakekua and Waikoloa areas shows. That’s up 23 cents from mid-February when the average price for a gallon of gas in West Hawaii was at a low of $3.34.
Including the Waikoloa resort area, motorists this week spent on average $3.62, up two cents from the week prior. In February, the average price for a gallon of gas, including the resort area, was $3.39.
This week in Kailua-Kona, drivers spent $3.47 per gallon, unchanged from last week, but up from $3.27 in mid-February, according to the GasBuddy.com data. At the Kailua-Kona Costco, where membership is required, a gallon held steady at $3.19 per gallon. In Kealakekua, motorists spent $3.47 per gallon this week, according to the data.
Drivers in Waimea paid an average of $3.66 per gallon, the same price paid by motorists who filled up in Waikoloa Village. Fueling a vehicle in the resort area of Waikoloa set drivers back an average of $3.81 per gallon this week.
Hilo drivers spent $3.22 per gallon, unchanged from last week, according to GasBuddy.com data. AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report put the average price of gas at $3.26 per gallon this week, up one cent from the week before. AAA does not track gas prices for other areas on the Big Island.
The statewide average for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel was $3.32 this week, up two cents from last week, according to the AAA data. One year ago, Hawaii residents were spending $4.36 per gallon.
In Honolulu, a gallon of gas during the week averaged $3.25 while the Wailuku area of Maui paid $3.41, according to AAA. Both prices are up a penny from last week.
Nationwide, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline this week was $2.76. California residents continued to pay the highest rate for gas at an average of $3.58 per gallon. South Carolina drivers paid the least this week at $2.46 per gallon.
AAA said gas prices remain poised for a seasonal decline because of stabilizing crude oil costs and completion of seasonal maintenance at refineries. In addition, the cost of crude oil is unlikely to rise significantly in the near term because the Organization Of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided not to cut production during its most recent meeting.
“Nevertheless, a number of factors could cause prices to inch higher during the summer driving season, such as geopolitical issues in the Middle East, unexpected problems at major refineries or a major hurricane that disrupts production, refining and distribution,” the organization said in a prepared statement.
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