ECONOMIC CONSULTING ASSOCIATES
Price caps, merger talks: why bother?

Price caps, merger talks: why bother?

ECA INSIGHT >> Price caps, merger talks: why bother? Dec, 2017 The recently announced merger between the supply businesses of npower and SSE is in stark contrast to the emergence of much smaller suppliers including municipal energy offerings. Is the move to...
Successful WSS programmes: it’s not about the money

Successful WSS programmes: it’s not about the money

ECA INSIGHT >> Successful WSS programmes: it’s not about the money Nov, 2017 Standard economics begins with the assumption that we behave rationally and in our own interests. We seek to maximise utility, which is often equated with maximising monetary...
Night storage heaters as an ancillary service

Night storage heaters as an ancillary service

ECA INSIGHT >> Night storage heaters as an ancillary service Oct, 2017 Because they are cheap to install, reliable, long-lived and have very low maintenance costs, night storage heaters are popular in granny-flats and with landlords in cheap rented accommodation...
The transformative potential of power supply to mines

The transformative potential of power supply to mines

ECA INSIGHT >> The transformative potential of power supply to mines July, 2017 Mines have the potential to transform a country’s power sector, but often do not connect to the national grid because of the risks this creates. To prevent this opportunity being...
Electricity mini-grids: how should costs be regulated?

Electricity mini-grids: how should costs be regulated?

ECA INSIGHT >> Electricity mini-grids: how should costs be regulated? May 2017 In a previous article, we discussed whether policies will allow cost-reflective tariffs for isolated and grid-connected electricity mini-grids in developing countries*. Less attention...