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Do you pay a fair price for electricity? Consumers’ satisfaction and utility reform in the EU

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  • Carlo Vittorio FIORIO
  • Massimo FLORIO

Abstract

The research question addressed by this paper is a simple one: are European consumers happy with the electricity supply services after two decades of reforms? We focus on self-assessed consumers’ satisfaction with electricity prices as reported in three waves of Eurobarometer survey, 2000-2002-2004, conditioning on some indicators of public ownership, vertical integration and entry regulation across the EU-15. Our results do not support a systematic association between consumers’ satisfaction and the complete reform package made of privatisation, vertical disintegration and liberalisation. These results, which have been extensively tested for robustness, raise various concerns about the way the reform processes have been undertaken and provides some warnings about possible effects on public support for public utility reforms.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlo Vittorio FIORIO & Massimo FLORIO, 2008. "Do you pay a fair price for electricity? Consumers’ satisfaction and utility reform in the EU," Departmental Working Papers 2008-12, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
  • Handle: RePEc:mil:wpdepa:2008-12
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    File URL: http://wp.demm.unimi.it/files/wp/2008/DEMM-2008_012wp.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Judith Clifton & Daniel Díaz‐Fuentes & Marcos Fernández‐Gutiérrez & Julio Revuelta, 2011. "Is Market‐Oriented Reform Producing A ‘Two‐Track’ Europe? Evidence From Electricity And Telecommunications," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 82(4), pages 495-513, December.
    2. 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.
    3. Fiorio, Carlo V. & Florio, Massimo & Perucca, Giovanni, 2013. "User satisfaction and the organization of local public transport: Evidence from European cities," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 209-218.
    4. Clifton, Judith & Díaz-Fuentes, Daniel & Fernández Gutiérrez, Marcos & Revuelta, Julio, 2011. "Bringing Citizens Back In: Renewing Public Service Regulation," MPRA Paper 33051, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Clifton, Judith & Díaz-Fuentes, Daniel & Fernández Gutiérrez, Marcos & Revuelta, Julio, 2009. "Infrastructure regulation: what works, why, and how do we know?," MPRA Paper 33038, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Recalde, Martina & Peralta, Andrés & Oliveras, Laura & Tirado-Herrero, Sergio & Borrell, Carme & Palència, Laia & Gotsens, Mercè & Artazcoz, Lucia & Marí-Dell’Olmo, Marc, 2019. "Structural energy poverty vulnerability and excess winter mortality in the European Union: Exploring the association between structural determinants and health," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    7. Simona GRASSI & Riccardo PUGLISI, 2008. "Regulation and consumer satisfaction from public services: an individual fixed effects approach," Departmental Working Papers 2008-21, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Consumers’ satisfaction; electricity; privatisation; vertical disintegration; liberalisation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities
    • L95 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Gas Utilities; Pipelines; Water Utilities
    • L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications
    • L50 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - General

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