Risk and promise in energy market liberalization: consumer choice in buying electricity

In many countries, where the electricity industry is being exposed to market liberalisation, it is found that the hardest part of the market to reform is retail supply to small business and domestic consumers. There are two main alternatives for promoting consumer choice, metering and load profiling. Notable developments are occurring in the United Kingdom, the United States, Scandinavia and New Zealand. Significant legal difficulties are encountered with such reforms. Among them are contract law, energy-sector regulation, competition law, privacy and individual rights, and consumer protection. The disaggregation of the industry, especially at the retail end, imposes special demands on contract and industry self-regulation. (Author)