The gap between average prices for retail regular gasoline and wholesale regular gasoline fell to 51 cents a gallon on O'ahu during the week ended July 8, the state Public Utilities Commission reported yesterday.

That was down from a gap of 56 cents a gallon the prior week, which was the first time the numbers were publicly posted under a law that recently took effect.

Lawmakers mandated the disclosure in hopes it will discourage unfair pricing, after the suspension of Hawai'i's controversial gasoline price caps in May 2006.

The average pretax retail price fell to $2.83 a gallon from $2.86 a gallon during the week ended July 1. At the same time, the average wholesale price rose from $2.30 a gallon to $2.32 a gallon.

The PUC's average wholesale price has been criticized as inaccurate and inflated because it combines multiple different types of wholesale transactions into one price.