IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/53488.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The distributional impact of the Irish public service obligation levy on electricity consumption

Author

Listed:
  • Farrell, Niall
  • Lyons, Seán

Abstract

We analyse the distributional impact of financing energy and environmental policies through additional charges on electricity consumption, focussing on the impact Ireland’s flat-rate Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy has on domestic consumers. Switching Ireland’s flate-rate charge to a unit-based charge results in reduced regressivity across the entire income distribution. A unit-based scheme reduces aggregate burden for most households on low incomes. Regressive impacts are greater for a subset of heavy electricity users. Incremental block pricing (IBP) exaggerates these effects. A hybrid fixed/variable structure mitigates regressivity for high users but lessens overall regressivity reduction. Redistribution via Ireland’s Household Benefits Package is sub-optimal relative to a hypothetical equivalised income-based scheme. Net of ‘merit order’ savings, flat charges redistribute burden incidence from rich to poor whilst fixed per-unit charges have a neutral effect. IBP shifts cost to heavy users, predominantly large households. IBP results in a negative net burden for the majority of households across all income groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Farrell, Niall & Lyons, Seán, 2014. "The distributional impact of the Irish public service obligation levy on electricity consumption," MPRA Paper 53488, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:53488
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/53488/1/MPRA_paper_53488.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Karsten Neuhoff & Stefan Bach & Jochen Diekmann & Martin Beznoska & Tarik El-Laboudy, 2013. "Distributional Effects of Energy Transition: Impacts of Renewable Electricity Support in Germany," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).
    2. Conor Devitt & Laura Malaguzzi Valeri, 2011. "The Effect of REFIT on Irish Wholesale Electricity Prices," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 42(3), pages 343-369.
    3. Nils-Henrik M. von der Fehr & Petter Vegard Hansen, 2010. "Electricity Retailing in Norway," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1), pages 25-46.
    4. Severin Borenstein & Lucas W. Davis, 2012. "The Equity and Efficiency of Two-Part Tariffs in U.S. Natural Gas Markets," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 55(1), pages 75-128.
    5. Severin Borenstein, 2012. "The Redistributional Impact of Nonlinear Electricity Pricing," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 4(3), pages 56-90, August.
    6. Mallika Chawla & Michael G. Pollitt, 2013. "Energy-efficiency and Environmental Policies & Income Supplements in the UK: Evolution and Distributional Impacts on Domestic Energy Bills," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).
    7. Mirza, Faisal Mehmood & Bergland, Olvar, 2012. "Pass-through of wholesale price to the end user retail price in the Norwegian electricity market," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 2003-2012.
    8. Sensfuß, Frank & Ragwitz, Mario & Genoese, Massimo, 2008. "The merit-order effect: A detailed analysis of the price effect of renewable electricity generation on spot market prices in Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(8), pages 3076-3084, August.
    9. Doherty, Ronan & O'Malley, Mark, 2011. "The efficiency of Ireland's Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff (REFIT) for wind generation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(9), pages 4911-4919, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Verde, Stefano F. & Pazienza, Maria Grazia, 2016. "Energy and climate hand-in-hand: Financing RES-E support with carbon revenues," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 234-244.
    2. Curtis, John & Devitt, Niamh & di Cosmo, Valeria & Farrell, Niall & FitzGerald, John & Hyland, Marie & Lynch, Muireann & Lyons, Sean & McCoy, Daire & Malaguzzi Valeri, Laura & Walsh, Darragh, 2014. "Irish Energy Policy: An Analysis of Current Issues," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number rs37 edited by FitzGerald, John & Malaguzzi Valeri, Laura.
    3. Niall Farrell, 2014. "Chapter 06: Wind Energy in Ireland," Chapters from Rural Economic Development in Ireland, in: Rural Economic Development in Ireland, edition 1, chapter 6, Rural Economy and Development Programme,Teagasc.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Niall Farrell & Mel T. Devine & William T. Lee & James P. Gleeson & Seán Lyons, 2017. "Specifying An Efficient Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff," The Energy Journal, , vol. 38(2), pages 53-76, March.
    2. Farrell, Niall & Humes, Harry, 2022. "Diminishing deadweight loss through energy subsidy cost recovery," Papers WP727, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    3. Niall Farrell & Cathal O'Donoghue & Karyn Morrissey, 2020. "Regional income and wave energy deployment in Ireland," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 99(3), pages 509-531, June.
    4. Farrell, Niall & Devine, Mel, 2015. "How do External Costs affect Pay-as-bid Renewable Energy Connection Auctions?," Papers WP517, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    5. Verde, Stefano F. & Pazienza, Maria Grazia, 2016. "Energy and climate hand-in-hand: Financing RES-E support with carbon revenues," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 234-244.
    6. Petr Spodniak & Mikael Collan & Mari Makkonen, 2017. "On Long-Term Transmission Rights in the Nordic Electricity Markets," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-19, March.
    7. Gaffney, F. & Deane, J.P. & Gallachóir, B.P.Ó, 2017. "A 100 year review of electricity policy in Ireland (1916–2015)," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 67-79.
    8. Metcalf, Gilbert E., 2019. "The distributional impacts of U.S. energy policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 926-929.
    9. Arik Levinson & Emilson Silva, 2022. "The Electric Gini: Income Redistribution through Energy Prices," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 14(2), pages 341-365, May.
    10. Fouquet, Roger & O'Garra, Tanya, 2022. "In pursuit of progressive and effective climate policies: Comparing an air travel carbon tax and a frequent flyer levy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    11. repec:zbw:rwirep:0542 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Severin Borenstein & Lucas W. Davis, 2012. "The Equity and Efficiency of Two-Part Tariffs in U.S. Natural Gas Markets," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 55(1), pages 75-128.
    13. Fabra, Natalia, 2021. "The energy transition: An industrial economics perspective," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    14. Niall Farrell & Seán Lyons, 2016. "Equity impacts of energy and climate policy: who is shouldering the burden?," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(5), pages 492-509, September.
    15. Wichman, Casey, 2024. "Efficiency, Equity, and Cost-Recovery Trade-Offs in Municipal Water Pricing," RFF Working Paper Series 24-18, Resources for the Future.
    16. Fotouhi Ghazvini, Mohammad Ali & Ramos, Sergio & Soares, João & Castro, Rui & Vale, Zita, 2019. "Liberalization and customer behavior in the Portuguese residential retail electricity market," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 1-1.
    17. Manuel Frondel & Stephan Sommer, 2014. "Diskussionspapier: Energiekostenbelastung privater Haushalte – Das EEG als sozialpolitische Zeitbombe?," RWI Materialien, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, pages 23, 06.
    18. Robert W. Hahn & Robert D. Metcalfe, 2021. "Efficiency and Equity Impacts of Energy Subsidies," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 111(5), pages 1658-1688, May.
    19. Mulder, M. & Willems, Bert, 2016. "Competition in Retail Electricity Markets : An Assessment of Ten Years Dutch Experience," Discussion Paper 2016-011, Tilburg University, Tilburg Law and Economic Center.
    20. Niall Farrell, 2014. "Chapter 06: Wind Energy in Ireland," Chapters from Rural Economic Development in Ireland, in: Rural Economic Development in Ireland, edition 1, chapter 6, Rural Economy and Development Programme,Teagasc.
    21. Radulescu, Doina & Pavanini, Nicola & Feger, Fabian, 2016. "Welfare and Redistribution Effects of Alternative Tariffs in Energy Markets with Solar Power," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145669, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Renewable Energy Support Schemes; Distributional Impact; Policy Cost;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H22 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Incidence
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • Q42 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Alternative Energy Sources
    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:53488. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.