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Energy prices and private consumption: what are the channels?

Author

Listed:
  • Battistini, Niccolò
  • Di Nino, Virginia
  • Dossche, Maarten
  • Kolndrekaj, Aleksandra

Abstract

The recent increase in energy prices raises the question of the extent to which households will reduce their consumption in response. This article reviews the drivers of the macroeconomic transmission of higher energy prices. It finds that in the first half of 2021 households regarded most of the rise in energy prices as being driven by stronger aggregate demand, leading to a recovery in consumption. However, since the summer of 2021 price rises caused, among other things, by disruptions in the supply of energy have increasingly weighed on household spending. This article also analyses the distributional impact of higher energy prices. Because poorer households spend a relatively large percentage of their income on energy, their purchasing power is particularly affected when energy prices surge. While monetary policy may have a limited role to play in counteracting the fallout from supply-driven changes in energy prices, targeted fiscal policies seem well suited to addressing the impact on the most affected households. JEL Classification: C23, C32, D39, E21

Suggested Citation

  • Battistini, Niccolò & Di Nino, Virginia & Dossche, Maarten & Kolndrekaj, Aleksandra, 2022. "Energy prices and private consumption: what are the channels?," Economic Bulletin Articles, European Central Bank, vol. 3.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbart:2022:0003:1
    Note: 3577821
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Chan, Jenny & Diz, Sebastian & Kanngiesser, Derrick, 2024. "Energy prices and household heterogeneity: Monetary policy in a Gas-TANK," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(S).
    2. Yuru Guan & Jin Yan & Yuli Shan & Yannan Zhou & Ye Hang & Ruoqi Li & Yu Liu & Binyuan Liu & Qingyun Nie & Benedikt Bruckner & Kuishuang Feng & Klaus Hubacek, 2023. "Burden of the global energy price crisis on households," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 8(3), pages 304-316, March.
    3. Pompeo Della Posta & Roberto Tamborini, 2022. "The Eurozone as an Inflation Target Zone," CESifo Working Paper Series 10014, CESifo.
    4. Roberto Tamborini, 2023. "Inflation surprises in a New Keynesian economy with a true consumption function. The Eurozone as an inflation target zone," DEM Working Papers 2023/1, Department of Economics and Management.
    5. Volha Audzei & Ivan Sutoris, 2024. "A Heterogeneous Agent Model of Energy Consumption and Energy Conservation," Working Papers 2024/4, Czech National Bank.
    6. Bardazzi, Rossella & Gastaldi, Francesca & Iafrate, Francesca & Pansini, Rosaria Vega & Pazienza, Maria Grazia & Pollastri, Corrado, 2024. "Inflation and distributional impacts: Have mitigation policies been successful for vulnerable and energy poor households?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    7. Pompeo Della Posta & Roberto Tamborini, 2022. "The Eurozone as an inflation target zone," DEM Working Papers 2022/7, Department of Economics and Management.
    8. Peersman, Gert & Wauters, Joris, 2024. "Heterogeneous household responses to energy price shocks," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    9. Bettarelli, Luca & Furceri, Davide & Pizzuto, Pietro & Shakoor, Nadia, 2024. "Climate change policies and income inequality," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    10. Roberto Tamborini, 2024. "Inflation surprises in a New Keynesian economy with a “true” consumption function," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 62(3), pages 1192-1215, July.
    11. Luigi Bonatti, & Roberto Tamborini, 2022. "The ECB and the Ukraine war: threats to price, economic and financial stability," DEM Working Papers 2022/3, Department of Economics and Management.
    12. Ricciutelli, Francesco, 2024. "Energy Inflation and Consumption Inequality," MPRA Paper 120899, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Peters, Sally & Roggemann, Hanne & Angermeier, Katharina & Größl, Ingrid & Päsler, Maximilian, 2023. "iff-Überschuldungsreport 2023: Überschuldung in Deutschland," iff-Überschuldungsreport, Institut für Finanzdienstleistungen e.V. (iff), number 2023, September.
    14. Bettarelli, Luca & Estefania-Flores, Julia & Furceri, Davide & Loungani, Prakash & Pizzuto, Pietro, 2023. "Energy inflation and consumption inequality," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    15. Pallotti, Filippo & Paz-Pardo, Gonzalo & Slacalek, Jiri & Tristani, Oreste & Violante, Giovanni L., 2023. "Who bears the costs of inflation? Euro area households and the 2021–2022 shock," Working Paper Series 2877, European Central Bank.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    central bank policy; monetary policy;

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • D39 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Other
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth

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