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Distributional Effects of Price Reforms in the Italian Utility Markets

Author

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  • Raffaele Miniaci
  • Carlo Scarpa
  • Paola Valbonesi

Abstract

In this paper, we analyse some distributional effects of the reforms to water and energy services in Italy. We first document the new regulation setting in these services, illustrating the dynamics of utility prices and of household expenditure in the period 1998-2005. We then propose a way to measure the affordability of public utilities, in order to investigate how many households would incur a potentially excessive burden if they consumed a minimum quantity of utility services. Finally, we calculate this index on data from the Survey on Family Budgets ("Indagine sui consumi delle famiglie"). Our results show how the affordability of utility bills varies from region to region depending on climate, income, family endowment and family size. The analysis - also based on a counterfactual exercise - finds that so far, utility reforms do not seem to have produced any negative effects on weaker households. Copyright (c) 2008 The Authors.

Suggested Citation

  • Raffaele Miniaci & Carlo Scarpa & Paola Valbonesi, 2008. "Distributional Effects of Price Reforms in the Italian Utility Markets," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 29(1), pages 135-163, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:ifs:fistud:v:29:y:2008:i:1:p:135-163
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    Cited by:

    1. Ariel Casarin, 2014. "Regulated price reforms and unregulated substitutes: the case of residential piped gas in Argentina," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 34-56, February.
    2. Campagnolo, Lorenza & De Cian, Enrica, 2022. "Distributional consequences of climate change impacts on residential energy demand across Italian households," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    3. Stefan Bouzarovski, 2014. "Energy poverty in the European Union: landscapes of vulnerability," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(3), pages 276-289, May.
    4. Gawel, Erik & Sigel, Katja & Bretschneider, Wolfgang, 2011. "Affordability of water supply in Mongolia: Empirical lessons for measuring affordability," UFZ Discussion Papers 9/2011, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Division of Social Sciences (ÖKUS).
    5. Miniaci, Raffaele & Scarpa, Carlo & Valbonesi, Paola, 2014. "Energy affordability and the benefits system in Italy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 289-300.
    6. Llorca, Manuel & Rodriguez-Alvarez, Ana & Jamasb, Tooraj, 2020. "Objective vs. subjective fuel poverty and self-assessed health," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    7. Judith Clifton & Daniel Díaz-Fuentes & Marcos Fernández-Gutiérrez & Julio Revuelta, 2011. "The new regulation of public infrastructure services in the European Union. Challenges for territorial cohesion," ERSA conference papers ersa11p1416, European Regional Science Association.
    8. Poggi, Ambra & Florio, Massimo, 2010. "Energy deprivation dynamics and regulatory reforms in Europe: Evidence from household panel data," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 253-264, January.
    9. De Cian, Enrica & Campagnolo, Lorenza, 2021. "Distributional Consequences of Climate Change Impacts on Energy Demand across Italian Households," RFF Working Paper Series 21-04, Resources for the Future.
    10. Heindl, Peter & Löschel, Andreas, 2015. "Social implications of green growth policies from the perspective of energy sector reform and its impact on households," ZEW Discussion Papers 15-012, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    11. Ivan Faiella & Luciano Lavecchia, 2015. "Energy Poverty in Italy," Politica economica, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 1, pages 27-76.
    12. Massarutto, Antonio, 2020. "Servant of too many masters: Residential water pricing and the challenge of sustainability," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    13. Alessandro Petretto, 2008. "The impact of productive efficiency and quality of a regulated local public utility on final goods prices and consumers welfare," Working Papers - Economics wp2008_10.rdf, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Economia e l'Impresa.
    14. Fernando Navajas Hancevic y & Pedro Hancevic, 2008. "Adaptación Tarifaria y Tarifa Social: Simulaciones para Gas Natural y Electricidad en el AMBA," Working Papers 96, FIEL.
    15. Alessandro Petretto, 2009. "On the Impact of Productive Efficiency and Quality of a Regulated Local Public Utility Upon Final Goods Prices and Consumer's Welfare," Giornale degli Economisti, GDE (Giornale degli Economisti e Annali di Economia), Bocconi University, vol. 68(3), pages 311-339, July.
    16. Stefan Bouzarovski & Saska Petrova & Sergio Tirado-Herrero, 2014. "From Fuel Poverty to Energy Vulnerability: The Importance of Services, Needs and Practices," SPRU Working Paper Series 2014-25, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    17. Raffaele Miniaci & Carlo Scarpa & Paola Valbonesi, 2014. "Fuel poverty and the energy benefits system: The Italian case," IEFE Working Papers 66, IEFE, Center for Research on Energy and Environmental Economics and Policy, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    18. Adams, Samuel & Atsu, Francis, 2015. "Assessing the distributional effects of regulation in developing countries," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 713-725.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L97 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Utilities: General

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