Power Tariffs : Caught between Cost Recovery and Affordability

This is the first paper to build a comprehensive empirical picture of power pricing practices across Sub-Saharan Africa, based on a new database of tariff structures in 27 countries for the years 2004-2008. Using a variety of quantitative indicator...

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Main Authors: Briceno-Garmendia, Cecilia, Shkaratan, Maria
Format: Policy Research Working Paper
Language:English
Published: 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20111208085934
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3671
id okr-10986-3671
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
topic ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
ASSET VALUE
AVAILABILITY
BALANCE
BLOCK TARIFF
BLOCK TARIFFS
BORDER TRADE
CAPITAL COSTS
CAPITAL INVESTMENTS
COLLECTION OF BILLS
COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS
COMMERCIAL TARIFFS
CONNECTED HOUSEHOLDS
CONSUMER PROTECTION
COST OF POWER
COST OF POWER PRODUCTION
COST RECOVERY
COSTS OF POWER
CURRENCY
DIESEL
DISCOUNT RATE
DISTRIBUTION ASSETS
DISTRIBUTION LOSSES
DOMESTIC CUSTOMERS
ECONOMIC COSTS
ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIES OF SCALE
ELECTRICITY
ELECTRICITY MARKET
ELECTRICITY PRICE
ELECTRICITY PRICES
ELECTRICITY REFORMS
ELECTRICITY REGULATOR
ELECTRICITY TARIFFS
ELECTRIFICATION
EMPLOYMENT
END USERS
ENERGY MARKETS
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUITY ISSUES
EXPENDITURE
EXPENDITURES
FINANCIAL HEALTH
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
FIXED CHARGE
FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION
FUEL
GENERATION
GENERATION CAPACITY
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION
HYDRO POWER
HYDRO-POWER
HYDROPOWER
IMPLICIT SUBSIDIES
IMPLICIT SUBSIDY
IMPLICIT TAX
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT
INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR
INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES
INTEREST RATES
INTERNATIONAL BANK
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY
INVESTMENT DECISIONS
KILOWATT-HOUR
KILOWATT-HOUR OF ELECTRICITY
KILOWATT-HOURS
LARGE CUSTOMERS
LEVEL OF CONSUMPTION
LEVEL OF DEMAND
LEVELS OF CONSUMPTION
MARGINAL COSTS
MONETARY FUND
NONPAYMENT
OPEN ACCESS
PEAK DEMAND
POOR CONSUMERS
POOR HOUSEHOLDS
POWER
POWER CONSUMPTION
POWER COSTS
POWER DEMAND
POWER DISTRIBUTION
POWER GENERATION
POWER GENERATION SYSTEMS
POWER NETWORK
POWER PRICING
POWER PRODUCERS
POWER PRODUCTION
POWER SECTOR
POWER SYSTEM
POWER SYSTEMS
POWER TRADE
PREFERENTIAL TARIFFS
PREPAYMENT
PREPAYMENT OPTION
PRESENT VALUE
PRICE DIFFERENTIAL
PRICE LEVEL
PRICE OF POWER
PRIMARY ENERGY
PURCHASING POWER
REGIONAL TRADE
RESIDENTIAL CONSUMERS
RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS
SMALL BUSINESS
SMALL BUSINESSES
STREET LIGHTING
TARIFF BLOCK
TARIFF DESIGN
TARIFF INCREASES
TARIFF LEVELS
TARIFF REGIMES
TARIFF SCHEDULE
TARIFF SCHEDULES
TARIFF STRUCTURE
TARIFF STRUCTURES
TRANCHE
TURNOVER
UPFRONT FIXED COSTS
UTILITIES
UTILITY COSTS
VOLTAGE
WAGES
WATER PRICES
WATER SERVICES
spellingShingle ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
ASSET VALUE
AVAILABILITY
BALANCE
BLOCK TARIFF
BLOCK TARIFFS
BORDER TRADE
CAPITAL COSTS
CAPITAL INVESTMENTS
COLLECTION OF BILLS
COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS
COMMERCIAL TARIFFS
CONNECTED HOUSEHOLDS
CONSUMER PROTECTION
COST OF POWER
COST OF POWER PRODUCTION
COST RECOVERY
COSTS OF POWER
CURRENCY
DIESEL
DISCOUNT RATE
DISTRIBUTION ASSETS
DISTRIBUTION LOSSES
DOMESTIC CUSTOMERS
ECONOMIC COSTS
ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIES OF SCALE
ELECTRICITY
ELECTRICITY MARKET
ELECTRICITY PRICE
ELECTRICITY PRICES
ELECTRICITY REFORMS
ELECTRICITY REGULATOR
ELECTRICITY TARIFFS
ELECTRIFICATION
EMPLOYMENT
END USERS
ENERGY MARKETS
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUITY ISSUES
EXPENDITURE
EXPENDITURES
FINANCIAL HEALTH
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
FIXED CHARGE
FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION
FUEL
GENERATION
GENERATION CAPACITY
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION
HYDRO POWER
HYDRO-POWER
HYDROPOWER
IMPLICIT SUBSIDIES
IMPLICIT SUBSIDY
IMPLICIT TAX
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT
INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR
INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES
INTEREST RATES
INTERNATIONAL BANK
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY
INVESTMENT DECISIONS
KILOWATT-HOUR
KILOWATT-HOUR OF ELECTRICITY
KILOWATT-HOURS
LARGE CUSTOMERS
LEVEL OF CONSUMPTION
LEVEL OF DEMAND
LEVELS OF CONSUMPTION
MARGINAL COSTS
MONETARY FUND
NONPAYMENT
OPEN ACCESS
PEAK DEMAND
POOR CONSUMERS
POOR HOUSEHOLDS
POWER
POWER CONSUMPTION
POWER COSTS
POWER DEMAND
POWER DISTRIBUTION
POWER GENERATION
POWER GENERATION SYSTEMS
POWER NETWORK
POWER PRICING
POWER PRODUCERS
POWER PRODUCTION
POWER SECTOR
POWER SYSTEM
POWER SYSTEMS
POWER TRADE
PREFERENTIAL TARIFFS
PREPAYMENT
PREPAYMENT OPTION
PRESENT VALUE
PRICE DIFFERENTIAL
PRICE LEVEL
PRICE OF POWER
PRIMARY ENERGY
PURCHASING POWER
REGIONAL TRADE
RESIDENTIAL CONSUMERS
RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS
SMALL BUSINESS
SMALL BUSINESSES
STREET LIGHTING
TARIFF BLOCK
TARIFF DESIGN
TARIFF INCREASES
TARIFF LEVELS
TARIFF REGIMES
TARIFF SCHEDULE
TARIFF SCHEDULES
TARIFF STRUCTURE
TARIFF STRUCTURES
TRANCHE
TURNOVER
UPFRONT FIXED COSTS
UTILITIES
UTILITY COSTS
VOLTAGE
WAGES
WATER PRICES
WATER SERVICES
Briceno-Garmendia, Cecilia
Shkaratan, Maria
Power Tariffs : Caught between Cost Recovery and Affordability
geographic_facet The World Region
The World Region
relation Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 5904
description This is the first paper to build a comprehensive empirical picture of power pricing practices across Sub-Saharan Africa, based on a new database of tariff structures in 27 countries for the years 2004-2008. Using a variety of quantitative indicators, the paper evaluates the performance of electricity tariffs against four key policy objectives: recovery of historic power production costs, efficient signaling of future power production costs, affordability to low income households, and distributional equity. As regards cost recovery, 80 percent of the countries in the sample fully recover operating costs, while only around 30 percent of the countries are practicing full recovery of capital costs. However, due to the fact that future power development may be based on a shift toward more economic technologies than those available in the past, existing tariffs look as though they would be consistent with Long Run Marginal Costs in nearly 40 percent of countries and hence provide efficient pricing signals. As regards affordability, today's average effective tariffs are affordable for 90 percent of today's customers. However, they would only be affordable for 25 percent of households that remain unconnected to the grid. Tariffs consistent with full recovery of economic costs would be affordable for 70 percent of the population. As regards equity, the highly regressive patterns of access to power services, ensure that subsidies delivered through electricity tariffs are without exception also highly regressive in distributional incidence. The conclusion is that achieving all four of these policy objectives simultaneously is almost impossible in the context of the high-cost low-income environment that characterizes much of SSA today. Hence most countries find themselves caught between cost recovery and affordability.
format Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper
author Briceno-Garmendia, Cecilia
Shkaratan, Maria
author_facet Briceno-Garmendia, Cecilia
Shkaratan, Maria
author_sort Briceno-Garmendia, Cecilia
title Power Tariffs : Caught between Cost Recovery and Affordability
title_short Power Tariffs : Caught between Cost Recovery and Affordability
title_full Power Tariffs : Caught between Cost Recovery and Affordability
title_fullStr Power Tariffs : Caught between Cost Recovery and Affordability
title_full_unstemmed Power Tariffs : Caught between Cost Recovery and Affordability
title_sort power tariffs : caught between cost recovery and affordability
publishDate 2012
url http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20111208085934
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3671
_version_ 1764387734371172352
spelling okr-10986-36712021-04-23T14:02:11Z Power Tariffs : Caught between Cost Recovery and Affordability Briceno-Garmendia, Cecilia Shkaratan, Maria ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS ASSET VALUE AVAILABILITY BALANCE BLOCK TARIFF BLOCK TARIFFS BORDER TRADE CAPITAL COSTS CAPITAL INVESTMENTS COLLECTION OF BILLS COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS COMMERCIAL TARIFFS CONNECTED HOUSEHOLDS CONSUMER PROTECTION COST OF POWER COST OF POWER PRODUCTION COST RECOVERY COSTS OF POWER CURRENCY DIESEL DISCOUNT RATE DISTRIBUTION ASSETS DISTRIBUTION LOSSES DOMESTIC CUSTOMERS ECONOMIC COSTS ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIES OF SCALE ELECTRICITY ELECTRICITY MARKET ELECTRICITY PRICE ELECTRICITY PRICES ELECTRICITY REFORMS ELECTRICITY REGULATOR ELECTRICITY TARIFFS ELECTRIFICATION EMPLOYMENT END USERS ENERGY MARKETS ENERGY SOURCES EQUITY ISSUES EXPENDITURE EXPENDITURES FINANCIAL HEALTH FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY FIXED CHARGE FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION FUEL GENERATION GENERATION CAPACITY GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION HYDRO POWER HYDRO-POWER HYDROPOWER IMPLICIT SUBSIDIES IMPLICIT SUBSIDY IMPLICIT TAX INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES INTEREST RATES INTERNATIONAL BANK INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INVESTMENT DECISIONS KILOWATT-HOUR KILOWATT-HOUR OF ELECTRICITY KILOWATT-HOURS LARGE CUSTOMERS LEVEL OF CONSUMPTION LEVEL OF DEMAND LEVELS OF CONSUMPTION MARGINAL COSTS MONETARY FUND NONPAYMENT OPEN ACCESS PEAK DEMAND POOR CONSUMERS POOR HOUSEHOLDS POWER POWER CONSUMPTION POWER COSTS POWER DEMAND POWER DISTRIBUTION POWER GENERATION POWER GENERATION SYSTEMS POWER NETWORK POWER PRICING POWER PRODUCERS POWER PRODUCTION POWER SECTOR POWER SYSTEM POWER SYSTEMS POWER TRADE PREFERENTIAL TARIFFS PREPAYMENT PREPAYMENT OPTION PRESENT VALUE PRICE DIFFERENTIAL PRICE LEVEL PRICE OF POWER PRIMARY ENERGY PURCHASING POWER REGIONAL TRADE RESIDENTIAL CONSUMERS RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS SMALL BUSINESS SMALL BUSINESSES STREET LIGHTING TARIFF BLOCK TARIFF DESIGN TARIFF INCREASES TARIFF LEVELS TARIFF REGIMES TARIFF SCHEDULE TARIFF SCHEDULES TARIFF STRUCTURE TARIFF STRUCTURES TRANCHE TURNOVER UPFRONT FIXED COSTS UTILITIES UTILITY COSTS VOLTAGE WAGES WATER PRICES WATER SERVICES This is the first paper to build a comprehensive empirical picture of power pricing practices across Sub-Saharan Africa, based on a new database of tariff structures in 27 countries for the years 2004-2008. Using a variety of quantitative indicators, the paper evaluates the performance of electricity tariffs against four key policy objectives: recovery of historic power production costs, efficient signaling of future power production costs, affordability to low income households, and distributional equity. As regards cost recovery, 80 percent of the countries in the sample fully recover operating costs, while only around 30 percent of the countries are practicing full recovery of capital costs. However, due to the fact that future power development may be based on a shift toward more economic technologies than those available in the past, existing tariffs look as though they would be consistent with Long Run Marginal Costs in nearly 40 percent of countries and hence provide efficient pricing signals. As regards affordability, today's average effective tariffs are affordable for 90 percent of today's customers. However, they would only be affordable for 25 percent of households that remain unconnected to the grid. Tariffs consistent with full recovery of economic costs would be affordable for 70 percent of the population. As regards equity, the highly regressive patterns of access to power services, ensure that subsidies delivered through electricity tariffs are without exception also highly regressive in distributional incidence. The conclusion is that achieving all four of these policy objectives simultaneously is almost impossible in the context of the high-cost low-income environment that characterizes much of SSA today. Hence most countries find themselves caught between cost recovery and affordability. 2012-03-19T18:06:35Z 2012-03-19T18:06:35Z 2011-12-01 http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20111208085934 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3671 English Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 5904 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper The World Region The World Region