How much does 9/10 cost?

That tiny 9/10 of a cent on gas station signs might look like a rounding error, but it adds up to a staggering amount. Based on current U.S. gasoline consumption, that fraction of a penny costs Americans roughly $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion per year.

Here is a breakdown of how those "pieces of pennies" turn into a billion-dollar industry:

The Math Behind the Billions

To understand the scale, you have to look at the sheer volume of fuel the U.S. consumes.

• Annual Consumption: As of 2024–2025, the U.S. consumes approximately 135 to 138 billion gallons of gasoline annually.

  
  

• The Calculation:

  $$138,000,000,000 \text{ gallons} \times \$0.009 \approx \$1,242,000,000$$

• Per Driver: For an individual who fills up a 15-gallon tank, it only adds about 13.5 cents to the bill. Because it's so small on a personal level, most people ignore it, yet it represents a massive collective transfer of wealth.