Maui Gas price hits $4 per gallon
Posted Mar 17, 2008 @ 3:50 pm, Viewed by 553 Visitors, Read 596 Times.Maui Gas prices are the highest
Hawaii generally has the highest gas prices in the United States. Maui, Kauai and the Big Island gas prices are normally higher than prices on Oahu. In past weeks Maui's price went up to $3.95 per gallon for regular and $4+ for the premium fuels.
People on the outer islands (the islands other than Oahu) sometimes feel that they're getting ripped off. The truth is, nearly everything shipped to Hawaii arrives on Oahu first. From Oahu, freight is reloaded onto ships and sent to other islands. The same is true with fuels. Crude oil arriving from Alaska and Indonesia is refined on Oahu and then shipped to the Kauai, Maui and the Big Island. And to be fair, let's not forget Molokai and Lanai. The extra shipping costs add to the price of commodities going to the outer islands.
Coping with the high cost of living
People hurting the most are those with the big gas guzzler vehicles. Filling up a big Ford, GM, Dodge and Nissan pickup truck costs nearly $100 bucks these days. Hawaii generates most of our electricity by burning oil too. That leads to the highest electrical costs in the nation. Hawaii is the most oil-dependent state in the U.S. What can we do about it?
Conservation and thinking green is the answer. We have abundant sunshine. The State legislature is considering a bill making solar energy generation mandatory with each new home built. Some people complain this will drive up the cost of homes. That maybe true, but it's a short-sighted response. We need to do every cost-effective thing we can do reduce our energy consumption.
The City and County of Honolulu enacted a tax surcharge in 2007 to fund a mass transit system. The City Council is deciding on the route and type of system (steel wheels on rail, maglev, etc.) to use. There is lots of debate and little consensus. Many people feel we'd be better off with out a mass transit system. Maybe they enjoy being stuck in traffic everday? Burning up gas as their cars crawl down the highway at 5 mph?
What we can do now
It will take 10 years for the mass transit system to be built and ready to go. We can move forward now with some simple things.
- Minimize driving as much as possible. Many people will get in their cars to drive a block or two to the store. Come on, we live in Hawaii! Enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, get outside and walk or ride a bike! A few bags of groceries can be put in a backpack or carried by hand. For larger purchases (e.g. a trip to Costco) it makes sense to drive.
- Use the "Little Graybox" to switch your water heater on and off. I like to experiment and see how many hours a day we actually need the water heater turned on. If we run out of hot water, the box has a manual switch on the outside that can turn the water heater back on.
- Hawaiian Electric Company offers a $2 per month discount if they are allowed to install a similar box next to your water heater. Their box turns off the hot water heater only if the island's electricity demands are approaching their peak. This box can be used in conjunction with the Little Graybox. Two buck per month is $24 per year. That will pay for a few lunches!
- Get solar fans for your house. These fans work great. I had two of them installed on my home last year. The fans have solar panels on their tops, which power exhaust fans. One fan pulls the hot air out of my attic. The other fan is hooked to a tube that comes down to the ceiling in (what was) the hottest room in my house. The fans work great. Combined Fed and State tax credits total 65%, making this a great way to cool your home without paying for air conditioning!
- Live closer to your workplace. This can be a tough one. I live on Oahu and most of the island's jobs are in Honolulu. Demand for homes in Honolulu is always high. We like to live in town where the office is perhaps a few miles away. Movie theatres, shopping, dining and special events are generally in Honolulu. If you're working in Honolulu and home prices fit your budget, living here helps. Home demand continues to be strong in areas such as Honolulu.
- Drive a fuel efficient vehicle! Put away the ego and drive a vehicle that gets great miles per gallon (mpg). I once drove a big muscle car with a V-8. Even when gas prices were $1.40 per gallon it hurt to fill that thing up. Since then I've driven various cars like Toyota Corollas which returned around 25-30 mpg.
My favorite vehicle is the Scion XB. This, err... car(?) gets outstanding gas mileage, averaging 30 mpg as I drive all over the island. The five speed has enough power to make it over the Pali and H-3 freeways with ease. And people love it. Every customer that's ridden in the Scion thought it was a pretty cool vehicle. It's also a hit with young people. After I bought this car, 20-somethings suddenly started talking to me (I'm in my 40's and it's not cool for them to talk with us older people).
Hybrids offer even better gas mileage. Due to the high demand for these vehicles, you can expect to spend more money buying one.
Be green and save money Hawaii!
The Scion XB - great on mileage
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Okay Ken, Here's a photo taken this week. Regular is down to $3.98 per gallon. Surely the price will go above $4 per gallon soon. Aloha, Mike
Posted 4 months ago
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Mike Bates is a realtor associate on the island of Oahu. He's lived on Oahu, Maui, Molokai and the Big Island for 28 years and is here to share his knowledge of the Hawaiian Islands with you. Read More
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You need a photo with the $4 per gallon!