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Competition in Retail Electricity Supply

Author

Listed:
  • Stephen C Littlechild

    (Department of Applied Economics, Univeristy of Cambridge)

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis and defence of competition in retail electricity supply. It includes some account of its development in the UK over the last dozen years, to the point where all retail price controls have now been removed. The development of this competition illustrates a number of the themes in Israel Kirzner’s writing - for example, the nature of competition as a process over time, the entrepreneurial and learning nature of this process, the role of marketing in alerting customers, the role of competition in establishing price and in discovering the services and suppliers that customers prefer, and the advantages of competition over regulation.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen C Littlechild, 2002. "Competition in Retail Electricity Supply," Working Papers EP09, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    • Handle: RePEc:enp:wpaper:ep09
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    File URL: https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/eprg-wp9.pdf
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Stagnaro, Carlo & Amenta, Carlo & Di Croce, Giulia & Lavecchia, Luciano, 2020. "Managing the liberalization of Italy's retail electricity market: A policy proposal☆," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    2. Nils-Henrik M. von der Fehr & Petter Vegard Hansen, 2010. "Electricity Retailing in Norway," The Energy Journal, , vol. 31(1), pages 25-46, January.
    3. Stephen Littlechild, 2016. "Contrasting Developments in UK Energy Regulation: Retail Policy and Consumer Engagement," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(2), pages 118-132, June.
    4. Özbuğday, Fatih Cemil & Öğünlü, Bilal & Alma, Hasan, 2016. "The sustainability of Turkish electricity distributors and last-resort electricity suppliers: What did transition from vertically integrated public monopoly to regulated competition with privatized an," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 50-67.
    5. Amenta, Carlo & Aronica, Martina & Stagnaro, Carlo, 2022. "Is more competition better? Retail electricity prices and switching rates in the European Union," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    6. repec:bla:opecrv:v:32:y:2008:i:2:p:150-183 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Sawkins, John W., 2012. "The introduction of competition into the Scottish Water industry," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 22-30.
    8. Dominique Finon, 2011. "Investment and Competition in Decentralized Electricity Markets: How to Overcome Market Failure by Market Imperfections?," Chapters, in: Jean-Michel Glachant & Dominique Finon & Adrien de Hauteclocque (ed.), Competition, Contracts and Electricity Markets, chapter 3, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    9. Fabien Roques & David M. Newbery & William J. Nuttall, 2004. "Generation Adequacy and Investment Incentives in Britain: from the Pool to NETA," Working Papers EP58, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    10. Danias, Nikolaos & Kim Swales, John & McGregor, Peter, 2013. "The Greek Electricity Market Reforms: Political and Regulatory Considerations," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1040-1047.
    11. Dormady, Noah & Roa-Henriquez, Alfredo & Hoyt, Matthew & Pesavento, Matthew & Koenig, Grace & Welch, William & Li, Zejun, 2025. "How are retail prices formed in restructured electricity markets?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    12. Littlechild, Stephen, 2006. "Competition and contracts in the Nordic residential electricity markets," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 135-147, September.
    13. Galetovic, Alexander & Muñoz, Cristián M., 2011. "Regulated electricity retailing in Chile," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 6453-6465, October.
    14. Eitan, Avri, 2023. "How are public utilities responding to electricity market restructuring and the energy transition? Lessons from Israel," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    15. Yannick Perez, 2006. "La gestion de l'incertitude et de l'opportunisme dans les décisions publiques Les enseignements des réformes électriques concurrentielles," Post-Print hal-04297587, HAL.
    16. Esplin, Ryan & Davis, Ben & Rai, Alan & Nelson, Tim, 2020. "The impacts of price regulation on price dispersion in Australia's retail electricity markets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    17. Littlechild, Stephen, 2006. "Residential energy contracts and the 28 day rule," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 44-62, March.
    18. Defeuilley, Christophe, 2009. "Retail competition in electricity markets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 377-386, February.
    19. Palacios M., Sebastián & Saavedra P., Eduardo, 2017. "Alternative policies for the liberalization of retail electricity markets in Chile," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 72-92.
    20. repec:ipg:wpaper:2013-018 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Stephen Littlechild, 2019. "Promoting competition and protecting customers? Regulation of the GB retail energy market 2008–2016," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 107-139, April.
    22. Yuanjing Li, 2014. "Vertical Structure and Forward Contract in Electricity Market," Working Papers 2014-117, Department of Research, Ipag Business School.
    23. Boroumand, Raphaël Homayoun & Zachmann, Georg, 2012. "Retailers' risk management and vertical arrangements in electricity markets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 465-472.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • B53 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Austrian

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