LIHU‘E — Prices at the pump in Hawai‘i are lowering, though not at the rate of the national average, which has reached a 2020 low due to recent volatility in the global oil market.
And fuel prices are still higher than they were in March of last year, according to AAA.
Sunday, the AAA motor club reported the national average gas price for regular unleaded fuel at $2.26 a gallon, down six cents from prices on March 9.
Average prices in Hawai‘i were reported at $3.52 a gallon for regular unleaded, down about two cents from last week’s average. In the past month, average fuel prices dropped by about six cents a gallon statewide, but AAA reports average prices for the state are up from what they were at this time in 2019 by about nine cents.
Associated Press reported Sunday the average price of U.S. regular-grade gasoline dropped 15 cents per gallon over the past three weeks.
Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey told AP Sunday that gas prices could continue to fall as demand shrinks amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Nationally, the average price for fuel is 12 cents lower than it was last year.
The average price of diesel is $2.88 a gallon nationwide, down 10 cents.
Hawai‘i, California and Washington currently top the nation’s list for most-expensive fuel prices, and are the only three states with prices still in the $3 range, with California regular fuel retailing at $3.36 a gallon and Washington selling regular unleaded at $3.03 per gallon. Oregon lands fourth on the list with prices at $2.92 per gallon for regular gasoline.
Statewide, the fuel-finding application GasBuddy reports lowest prices for regular gasoline at $2.79 and highest at $3.40 per gallon, though the price for a gallon of regular unleaded at the Union 76 in Princeville was $3.99 Sunday.
Costco had the lowest prices on Kaua‘i for regular unleaded on Sunday, at $2.99 a gallon. The Union 76 in Lihu‘e came in second at $3.71, Hanapepe Shell’s price was $3.87 a gallon, Chevron in Koloa and the Shell in Lihu‘e were selling regular unleaded at $3.83, and price at the Union 76 in Princeville was at $3.99.
And let’s not forget Costco premium is .17cents cheaper than the regular fuel at California stations. Must be a first gas here has never reached below mainland prices.