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Households' energy demand and the effects of carbon pricing in Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Ivan Faiella

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Luciano Lavecchia

    (Bank of Italy)

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel methodology to estimate the demand and elasticity of electricity, heating, and private transport fuels by aligning the microdata of the Italian Household Budget Survey with several external sources. These estimates are used to evaluate the effects of a set of one-off carbon taxes on energy demand and expenditure. According to our simulations, the increase in energy prices prompted by carbon taxation would decrease energy demand for all uses considered. Our simulations suggest that the effects of carbon taxation are generally regressive: expenditure would increase more for poorer households while their energy demand is compressed. The carbon tax could achieve a significant decrease in GHG emissions and raise revenues, which could be recycled to compensate vulnerable households or reinvested to support the energy transition.

Suggested Citation

  • Ivan Faiella & Luciano Lavecchia, 2021. "Households' energy demand and the effects of carbon pricing in Italy," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 614, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdi:opques:qef_614_21
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    File URL: https://www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazioni/qef/2021-0614/QEF_614_21.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Faiella, Ivan & Lavecchia, Luciano & Michelangeli, Valentina & Mistretta, Alessandro, 2022. "A climate stress test on the financial vulnerability of Italian households and firms," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 396-417.
    2. Alfonso Carfora & Renato Passaro & Giuseppe Scandurra & Antonio Thomas, 2022. "The Casual Nexus between Income and Energy Poverty in EU Member States," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-16, April.
    3. Avgousti, Aris & Caprioli, Francesco & Caracciolo, Giacomo & Cochard, Marion & Dallari, Pietro & Delgado-Téllez, Mar & Domingues, João & Ferdinandusse, Marien & Filip, Daniela & Nerlich, Carolin & Pra, 2023. "The climate change challenge and fiscal instruments and policies in the EU," Occasional Paper Series 315, European Central Bank.
    4. Enrico Bernardini & Ivan Faiella & Luciano Lavecchia & Alessandro Mistretta & Filippo Natoli, 2021. "Central banks, climate risks and sustainable finance," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 608, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    household energy demand; Italy; climate change; carbon tax; energy poverty;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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