Oahu electric rates continued their upward climb in October, hitting a record for the second time in three months.

Hawaiian Electric Co., which generates 75 percent of its energy from burning petroleum, attributed the rate increase to rising prices for fuel oil it buys from the local Chevron and Tesoro refineries.

The typical bill for a family using 600 kilowatt-hours of electricity rose to a record $207.04 in October, a $2.20 increase from September, HECO said. The October bill broke the previous record of $205.44 set in August. The rate per kilowatt-hour rose to 33.1 cents in October from 32.7 cents in September.

Prices for various refined petroleum products produced by Chevron and Tesoro, including gasoline and the low-sulfur fuel oil burned by HECO, have been going up even as crude oil prices on the mainland have stabilized in the $80 per barrel to $90 per barrel range over the past three months.

"We are as dismayed as our customers are by the high prices for electricity, especially as we watch oil prices elsewhere that are flat or declining," said Robbie Alm, HECO executive vice president.

"This situation again highlights how important it is to get off oil as completely and quickly as we can. It is exactly for this reason that we are pursing renewables on all fronts with a new push for geothermal, a nationally ranked solar program, more wind farms and biofuels."

Chevron has attributed its higher Hawaii prices, in part, to increases in the cost of crude oil imported from Asia due to increased demand from Japan following a devastating earthquake and tsunami that crippled a major nuclear plant there. A major source of the crude oil Chevron refines in Hawaii comes from the company’s oil-drilling operations in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Matson Navigation Co. said falling fuel prices have allowed it to cut its fuel surcharge on shipments from the mainland to Hawaii three times since August.

For competitive reasons, Chevron and Tesoro don’t disclose how much oil they import or the points of origin. However, aggregate data compiled by Foreign Trade Zone 9 in Honolulu show that of the 21.6 million barrels of oil imported to Hawaii during the first six months of this year, 12.7 million gallons, or 59 percent, came from Asia and eastern Russia. Another 8 million barrels, or 37 percent, came from the Middle East and Africa. The balance, 886,000 barrels (4 percent), came from Argentina.

Honolulu resident Joe Hilton said he is skeptical of the reasons given by oil companies for higher prices. "It’s well-known that oil companies in this country have unbelievable profits," Hilton said. "And our refineries are among the most profitable in the country.

"We’re monopolized by the Democratic Party, we’re monopolized by the shipping companies, we’re monopolized by Tesoro and Chevron. We’re getting to the point where enough is enough."