Gas tops $6 in Hana; statewide prices set record again
The price for a gallon of regular gas broke the $6 mark this week in remote Hana, marking another record that is consistently being topped.
In its daily fuel gauge report AAA said the current average in the state of Hawaii for regular gas is $4.566 — about a penny higher than yesterday’s previous record price. Premium is at $4.74. That compares to $3.572 a gallon for regular gas and $3.848 a gallon for premium a year ago. The statewide average price for regular gas has been steadily climbing since April 20 when it first broke a record price of $4.51 set on July 31, 2008, AAA said.
In Hana, the area’s only gas station is charging $6.03 for a gallon of regular gas as of Tuesday. The price for premium gas is at $6.25 a gallon.
"Everybody is complaining," said Nani Kahuila, who works at the station in the remote east Maui community. "But what you going to do…you got to pay it. Fifty dollars doesn’t go very far now days."
Hana’s price is not included in AAA’s statewide gas survey, which covers the metro areas of Honolulu, Wailuku and Hilo.
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Nationally, AAA says the national average for regular gas is $3.886 a gallon and $4.156 for premium.
Honolulu motorists are paying on the average of $4.455 a gallon for regular gas and $4.637 for premium gas. That tops yesterday’s previous record of $4.447 for regular gas and is four cents more than a week ago, according to AAA.
In Wailuku, the average price for regular gas was $4.932 a gallon and $5.121 for premium. The price is slightly higher than yesterday’s $4.931 a gallon and three cents higher than last week’s price.
In Hilo the average price regular gas is $4.58 a gallon and $4.797 for premium. However, that doesn’t top the record of $4.65 for a gallon of regular set in July 2008.
On Molokai, which gets its shipment of gasoline only once a month, the price for regular grade at its two gas stations was $5.16 a gallon and $5.24 for premium.
Kat Kaai, manager at Hayaku Gas in Kaunakakai on Molokai, told the Star-Advertiser that the next shipment of gas is expected to arrive by barge next month.
