The Effect of Liberalizing UK Retail Energy Markets on Consumers
研究了英国居民能源市场自由化后，消费者尤其是弱势家庭是否受益，发现早期对价格上升的担忧未实现，但市场集中度上升可能损害低收入家庭，威胁减少燃料贫困的政策目标。
This paper describes the evolution of supply competition in the UK residential energy market and the extent to which consumers in general, and vulnerable households in particular, have benefited from liberalization. It concludes that earlier fears about higher prices for vulnerable groups from tariff rebalancing have not so far been realized. However, in assessing the extent to which suppliers may be able to exploit individual or joint market power, increasing concentration in the downstream market may result in adverse effects on all consumers, especially low-income households. This poses a threat to the government's programme to reduce fuel poverty, particularly at a time when upstream costs are expected to rise to reflect environmental concerns.