Toward Defining and Measuring the Affordability of Public Utility Services

This paper reviews the progress made in the literature toward defining and measuring the affordability of utilities. It highlights the relative merits of alternate affordability metrics; the practical challenges to their operationalization, includi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors:	Kessides, Ioannis, Miniaci, Raffaele, Scarpa, Carlo, Valbonesi, Paola
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper
Language:	English
Published:	2012
Subjects:	ABSOLUTE POVERTY ACCESSIBILITY ACCOUNTING AFFORDABILITY AFFORDABILITY ANALYSIS AFFORDABILITY OF ACCESS AGRICULTURAL MARKETS ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT ARREARS AVERAGE COSTS BARRIERS TO ENTRY BASIC NEEDS BUDGET CONSTRAINTS CALORIE INTAKE CAPITAL COSTS CAPITAL INVESTMENTS CLEAN WATER CLIMATE CHANGE COMPETITIVENESS CONFLICT CONNECTION CHARGE CONNECTION FEE CONNECTION FEES CONNECTION SUBSIDY CONSTRAINTS ON INVESTMENT CONSUMER GROUPS CONSUMER SURPLUS CONSUMERS CONSUMPTION LEVELS COST OF ACCESS COST-EFFECTIVENESS COUNTERFACTUAL CROSS-SUBSIDIES CROSS-SUBSIDIZATION DEVELOPMENT BANK DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS DISADVANTAGED GROUPS DISCRIMINATION DISTRIBUTION OF BENEFITS DISTRIBUTIONAL EFFECTS ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS ECONOMIC DECISIONS ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS ECONOMIC REFORM ECONOMIC THEORY ECONOMIES OF SCALE ELECTRICITY EXCHANGE RATE EXPENDITURE EXPENDITURES EXPLICIT SUBSIDIES EXTERNALITIES EXTREME POVERTY EXTREME POVERTY LINE FAMILIES FARMERS FINANCIAL BURDEN FINANCIAL CRISIS FINANCIAL DISTRESS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FINANCING ACCESS FIXED CHARGES FIXED COST FOOD POVERTY FOOD POVERTY LINE GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION HORIZONTAL EQUITY HOUSEHOLD BUDGET HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION HOUSEHOLD INCOME HOUSEHOLD SURVEY HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS HOUSEHOLDS HOUSING HOUSING POLICY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS INCOME DISTRIBUTION INCOME GROUPS INCOME LEVELS INCOME MEASURES INCOME SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL ACCESS INEFFICIENCY INEQUALITY INFLATION INFLATION TAXES INFORMATION SERVICES INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS INTERNATIONAL BANK INVESTMENT BANK INVESTMENT DECISIONS LABOUR FORCE LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS MARGINAL COST MARGINAL COST PRICING MERIT GOOD MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES MONOPOLIES NATURAL MONOPOLY NETWORK EXTERNALITIES NUTRITION OPPORTUNITY COST OPPORTUNITY COSTS PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION POLICY REVERSAL POLITICAL FEASIBILITY POOR POOR COUNTRIES POOR HOUSEHOLDS POVERTY ANALYSIS POVERTY GAP POVERTY GAP INDEX POVERTY INDEX POVERTY LINE POVERTY LINES POVERTY MEASUREMENT POVERTY MEASURES POVERTY PROFILE PRICE CONTROLS PRICE DISCRIMINATION PRICE ELASTICITY PRICE POLICIES PRIVATE OPERATORS PRIVATE PARTICIPATION PRIVATE SECTOR PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION PRIVATIZATION PRODUCTION FUNCTION PRODUCTION FUNCTIONS PROFIT MOTIVE PUBLIC PUBLIC ECONOMICS PUBLIC ENTERPRISES PUBLIC EXPENDITURE PUBLIC FINANCE PUBLIC OWNERSHIP PUBLIC POLICY PUBLIC SERVICE PUBLIC SUBSIDIES PUBLIC TRANSPORT PUBLIC UTILITIES PUBLIC UTILITY PURCHASING POWER PURCHASING POWER PARITY QUALITY OF SERVICE REFORM PROGRAMS REVENUE ADEQUACY RURAL RURAL AREAS RURAL ELECTRIFICATION RURAL HOUSEHOLDS SERVICE PROVIDER SERVICE PROVIDERS SERVICE PROVISION SERVICE QUALITY SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT SOCIAL EXCLUSION SOCIAL IMPACTS SUBSIDIZATION SUNK COSTS TARGETING TAX TAXATION TELECOMMUNICATIONS TRANSFER PROGRAMS TRANSITION ECONOMIES UNIVERSAL ACCESS URBAN TRANSPORTATION UTILITIES UTILITY MODEL UTILITY SERVICES VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS WATER DEMAND WATER DISTRIBUTION WATER SECTOR WATER SERVICE WELLS
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_20090428083002 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4106

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Summary:	This paper reviews the progress made in the literature toward defining and measuring the affordability of utilities. It highlights the relative merits of alternate affordability metrics; the practical challenges to their operationalization, including the underlying data requirements; and their implications for the design, evaluation, and implementation of appropriate affordability programs.

Toward Defining and Measuring the Affordability of Public Utility Services

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