The average gas price nationwide has declined steadily for almost 50 days — the longest decline since 2008 — and has reached its lowest point since 2010. But Island gas prices are still among the highest in the state.

As a black pickup truck rumbled away from the Depot Corner gas station in Edgartown with a pair of lawn mowers stowed in its bed, the screen at the pump displayed the hard truth: $191.64 for just over 41 gallons of regular gasoline. And this isn’t an exceptional case. Infamous in years past for its high prices, the Vineyard is a place where drivers should expect to see their wallets lightened by some of the nation’s most expensive gasoline this summer.

As home heating costs continue to squeeze consumer budgets, the blame game also escalates.

Homeowners fault the weather - here and elsewhere - as home heating fuel originally intended for the Northeast is diverted to the Midwest and other regions where last summer's heat and this winter's single-digit temperatures have spiked the demand.

Manuel Suza just ordered a fill-up at deBettencourt's gas station in Oak Bluffs and only had to shell out $1.66. No wonder he was still smiling.

His rig barely uses any fuel, but it comes with a price. It's a moped, and he's riding the thing in 35 degree weather. That explains the thickly-insulated coveralls and ski gloves.

Mr. Suza is one of a handful of hearty Islanders who rely on a vehicle that would hardly win a popularity contest on the Vineyard.

Gasoline prices on the Vineyard have hit record highs this summer, with the cost of premium gasoline now topping three dollars a gallon at some stations - well above both the state and national averages.

As of Tuesday, Tisbury Shell and Edgartown Mobil both were charging $3.04 per gallon for premium gasoline. Regular gasoline prices still hover a few cents shy of the three dollar mark, averaging $2.89 per gallon at the Island's nine stations. The Menemsha Shell has the lowest price for regular gas on the Island, at $2.82.

Aquinnah Selectmen Will Seek Bylaw to Regulate Energy Use

By IAN FEIN

With the energy demands of large homes a growing concern across the Island, Aquinnah selectmen this week unanimously endorsed a regulation that would require new homes over a certain size to include renewable energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines.

"This is an important measure," selectman James Newman said at the regular board meeting on Tuesday, after proposing the energy requirement. "And I think that this community should be a leader on the issue."

With gasoline prices at an all-time high across the country, the Vineyard stands in the top ranks for prices paid at the pump, as the cost of premium gas climbed above the four dollar mark at most Island stations this week and regular trailed not far behind.

After 30 years of operating the Island's largest oil and gas supplier, Ralph Packer is quite aware that many Islanders feel they pay way too much to heat their homes in the winter.

"I start to hear it every year when it gets cold; people think they're getting ripped off" Mr. Packer said. "They are automatically suspicious when their [oil bills] go up each year"

On an Island already known for its high cost of living, the Vineyard now claims the dubious distinction of having the highest gasoline prices in the state and among the highest in the nation. Prices for regular gas eclipsed the $4 a gallon mark at most Island service stations this week, while premium prices climbed as high as $4.39 a gallon.