Stephen Littlechild gave a presentation “The Energy Price Cap: Towards a ‘Fairer Market’ for UK Consumers? the Economist’s view” at a UCL Laws event at University College, London on 23 January 2019 | PDF Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild gave a presentation “The Energy Price Cap: Towards a ‘Fairer Market’ for UK Consumers? the Economist’s view” at a UCL Laws event at University College, London on 23 January 2019 | PDF Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild has responded to the CMA’s invitation to comment on its proposed review of the Prepayment Charges Restriction Order 2016. In his response “Providing for a transition back to a competitive retail energy market” he suggests that the CMA phase out the prepayment meter tariff cap by December 2020 rather than leave a “cliff… Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild wrote a report “Is there competition below the PPM tariff cap? What are the implications for policy?” This paper finds that the range of tariff offers that are widely available and significantly below the Prepayment Meter tariff cap is much less than first appears. It suggests various implications for policy relating to accuracy of information, setting… Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild has made a further submission to the CMA investigation of the SSE-Npower merger, suggesting that divestment to smaller suppliers of some 740,000 long-standing Npower domestic energy customers on Standard Variable Tariffs would address the CMA’s recently identified theory of harm associated with a loss of rivalry in the setting of default tariff prices | PDF… Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild Competition, regulation and price controls in the GB retail energy market Utilities Policy, Volume 52, June 2018, Pages 59-69 Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild’s paper “Competition, Regulation and Price Controls in the GB Retail Energy Market” is a revised and updated version of his July 2017 lead article in Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Network, which summarises and appraises the last decade of UK retail energy market regulation. The revised paper has been submitted to Utilities Policy. The full text can be found here The… Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild has made a submission to the CMA investigation of the SSE-Npower merger, suggesting that the two companies agree to divest long-standing customers on Standard Variable Tariffs to smaller suppliers in the domestic energy market. He identifies ten respects in which this would increase competition, which is particularly important in present circumstances | PDF… Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild wrote a report on US competitive electricity markets “The Regulation of Retail Competition in US Residential Electricity Markets”. The report explains that all competitive retail markets in the US except Texas require incumbent network utilities to offer a default supply service to customers who do not choose a retail supplier, and to do… Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild published an article “An energy price cap will damage the industry. Here’s a viable alternative” in the Daily Telegraph on 9 January 2018 | PDF To read the article online, please click here Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild gave a presentation “Competition and the UK retail energy market: Lessons for Australia?” during AEC Luncheon Seminar in Park Hyatt, Melbourne, Australia on 29 November 2017 | PDF He also presented “Competition and the UK retail energy market” at Meridian Energy Seminars, Wellington, New Zealand on 23 November 2017 | PDF You can view this presentation here Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild and other former energy regulators of the UK submitted a written evidence to the BEIS Select Committee on pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft domestic gas and electricity (tariff cap) bill in November 2017. The full text can be found here. On 12 December 2017, S. Littlechild gave evidence in person during the Select Committee meeting. The written… Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild gave a presentation “The return to price caps: Where did it all go wrong and how to fix it?” during Beesley Lectures in London on 5 October 2017 | PDF Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild published an article “Competition and Price Controls in the UK Retail Energy Market” in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Network publication on 7 July 2017. This lead article summarises and appraises the last decade of UK retail market regulation. The full text of the article can be read here Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild and other former UK regulators sent a letter to Dermot Nolan, Ofgem, following a letter from the Secretary of State to Ofgem about the retail energy market, and Ofgem’s statement in response to the letter, on 23 June 2017. The text of the letter can be read here The Secretary of State’s letter and… Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild and other former UK energy regulators published an article “Resist the Temptation to Intervene on Energy Prices” in Daily Telegraph on 22 March 2017 (online) and on 23 March 2017 (printed version). The full text of the article can be found here. To view it on Daily Telegraph website, please click here Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild The CMA’s assessment of customer detriment in the GB retail energy market Previously published in March 2017 under the title The CMA’s analysis of the retail energy market: an examination using textbook economics. Updated in April 2018 under a new title. Abstract | Non-Technical Summary | PDF Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild and other former energy regulators submitted written evidence to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee in response to the inquiry that is investigating the economics of UK Energy Policy. The full text can be found here. Further details of the Committee’s inquiry can be found here. Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild and other former energy regulators of the UK submitted a paper to Energy and Climate Change Committee for Committee’s oral hearing on the CMA energy market report that took place on 5 July 2016. The full text can be read here Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild’s latest response to CMA Provisional Decision on Remedies from 11 April 2016 and Supplementary Submission on Provisional Decision on Remedies from 20 April 2016. Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild’s latest contribution to CMA’s current Energy market investigation “The CMA energy market investigation, the well-functioning market, Ofgem, Government and behavioural economics“. This paper is forthcoming in the European Competition Journal, March 2016. Executive Summary | Text Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild and the other former energy regulators recently submitted their response to CMA on Supplemental Remedies. In their response they argue that prohibiting Standard Variable Tariffs would overrule customer preferences. It would be better to promote more competition for SVTs. They also propose an alternative way forward, to recognise that the extent of Ofgem’s… Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild published a report “Regulation of Retail Energy Markets in the UK and Australia” in a weekly energy newsletter of Energy Supply Association of Australia (ESAA) on 15 October 2015. The full text of the report can be found here. You can also click here to read the introduction by Andrew Dillon, General Manager of Corporate… Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild, Fellow at Judge Business School and EPRG Associate Researcher, addressed the Indepen Forum on 29 September 2015 which was on the theme”Snakes and Ladders: price controls and markets. What might the CMA’s provisional findings mean for retail markets in utility services?” The full text of his opening remarks can be found here. Continue Reading
Comment on Catherine Waddams’s blog post: “A Regulator’s Price Comparison Website is Not Sensible” by S. Littlechild – Full Text Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild, Fellow at Judge Business School and EPRG Associate Researcher, published an article ‘Goldilocks’ Energy Price Limit Doesn’t Bear Scrutiny in The Telegraph newspaper. “Two cheers for the Competition and Markets Authority’s provisional findings in its energy market investigation. The first is for its comprehensive assessment of which aspects are a problem and which aren’t.… Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild The Regulaytor’s Tale Published in Cornwall Energy Energyspectrum, Issue 443 | 27 Sep 2014 | PDF Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild The Customer Forum: customer engagement in the Scottish water sector 11 Jul 2014 | PDF Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild Promoting or restricting competition?: Regulation of the UK retail residential energy market since 2008 Continue Reading
Click here for PDF *Joint submission by five former energy regulators Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild RPI-X, competition as a rivalrous discovery process, and customer engagement LSE, London, 31 Mar 2014 | PDF Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild There is a problem in the UK’s energy market – but it’s the regulator’s fault City A.M., 1 July 2014 | Article Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild RPI-X, competition as a rivalrous discovery process, and customer engagement Paper prepared for the Conference, The British Utility Regulation Model: Beyond Competition and Incentive Regulation?, LSE 31 March 2014| PDF Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild The process of negotiating settlements at FERC 12 Jun 2012 | PDF Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild Regulation and Customer Engagement PDF Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild Merchant and regulated transmission: theory, evidence and policy 9 Feb 2012 | PDF Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild Foreword to F P Sioshansi (ed) Evolution of Global Electricity Markets, Academic Press, 2013, pp xxvii – xxx PDF Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild Comparing electricity distribution network revenues and costs in New South Wales, Great Britain and Victoria May, 2010 | PDF Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild The competition assessment framework for the retail energy sector: some concerns about the proposed interpretation Continue Reading
There was a wide variety of responses to “Applying behavioural economics at the Regulatory Conduct Authority”, Occasional Paper 1, published on 1 April 2014. These ranged from support for or concern about the RCA’s proposed policy, through the enigmatic “thank you, very interesting”, to “fantastic, brilliant”. But I suspect that a large number of readers… Continue Reading
click here to read the full article. Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild Transmission regulation, merchant investment and the experience of SNI and Murraylink in the Australian National Electricity Market Published 12 June 2003 | PDF Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild Smaller suppliers in the UK domestic electricity market: Experience, Concerns and Policy Recommendations 29 June 2005 | PDF Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild The Power UK Interview – Stephen Littlechild Power UK, Issue 141 Published November 2005 Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild Let’s Talk Utility Week, p 20-21 Published 2 May 2008 Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild, Eduardo Ponzano Transmission expansion in Argentina 5: The regional electricity forum of Buenos Aires province Energy Economics, Volume 30, Issue 4, p 1491-1526 Published July 2008 | Published online 9 January 2008 | Available at sciencedirect.com Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild, Carlos Skerk Transmission expansion in Argentina 1: The origins of policy Energy Economics, Volume 30, Issue 4, p 1367-1384 Published July 2008 | Published online 9 January 2008 | Available at sciencedirect.com Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild Symposium on electricity reform in Argentina Energy Economics, Preface, Volume 30, Issue 4, p 1279-1283 Published July 2008 | Published online 15 January 2008 | Available at sciencedirect.com Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild, Carlos Skerk Transmission expansion in Argentina 6: Distribution companies, regulation and the Public Contest method Energy Economics, Volume 30, Issue 4, p 1527-1535 Published July 2008 | Published online 9 January 2008 | Available at sciencedirect.com Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild, Carlos Skerk Transmission expansion in Argentina 4: A review of performance Energy Economics, Volume 30, Issue 4, p 1462-1490 Published July 2008 | Published online 9 January 2008 | Available at sciencedirect.com Continue Reading
Stephen Littlechild, Carlos Skerk Transmission expansion in Argentina 2: The Fourth Line revisited Energy Economics, Volume 30, Issue 4, p 1385-1419 Published July 2008 | Published online 9 January 2008 | Available at sciencedirect.com Continue Reading