Publication:
Water, Electricity, and the Poor : Who Benefits from Utility Subsidies?

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dc.contributor.authorKomives, Kristin
dc.contributor.authorFoster, Vivien
dc.contributor.authorHalpern, Jonathan
dc.contributor.authorWodon, Quentin
dc.contributor.authorAbdullah, Roohi
dc.date.accessioned2012-08-13T15:54:13Z
dc.date.available2012-08-13T15:54:13Z
dc.date.issued2008-10
dc.description.abstractUtility subsidies to consumers of water and electricity services are often justified as a mechanism for making services affordable for the poor. After all, an estimated 1.1 billion people in the developing world lack access to safe water, 2 billion are without electricity, and 2.4 billion without sanitation. But critics object that such subsidies can work against improving quality of service to existing consumers and extending access to unconnected households. Financially strapped utilities are often inefficient, provide low-quality services, and lag behind in expanding networks. During the 1990s, experts urged that water and electricity services should charge enough to fully cover costs. Households could spend 10-50 percent more on water and electricity without major effects on poverty levels, but in many countries much larger price increases are needed to recover costs. A substantial proportion of the population of lower income countries may find it difficult to pay the full cost of services.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/10/10026773/water-electricity-poor-benefits-utility-subsidies
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/11745
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/11745
dc.languageEnglish
dc.publisherWorld Bank, Washington, DC
dc.relation.ispartofseriesWater P-Notes; No. 20
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
dc.subjectACCESS TO SAFE WATER
dc.subjectBLOCK TARIFFS
dc.subjectCITIES
dc.subjectCONNECTION
dc.subjectCONNECTION CHARGES
dc.subjectCONNECTION COSTS
dc.subjectCONNECTIONS
dc.subjectCONSUMERS
dc.subjectCONSUMPTION INCREASES
dc.subjectCOST RECOVERY
dc.subjectCUBIC METERS
dc.subjectCUBIC METERS OF WATER
dc.subjectDISTRIBUTION OF BENEFITS
dc.subjectDRAIN
dc.subjectDRINKING WATER
dc.subjectELECTRICITY SERVICES
dc.subjectEXCLUSION
dc.subjectFIXED CHARGES
dc.subjectGDP
dc.subjectHOUSEHOLDS
dc.subjectINCOME
dc.subjectMAINTENANCE COSTS
dc.subjectPRICE INCREASES
dc.subjectPUBLIC SUBSIDIES
dc.subjectPUBLIC TAP
dc.subjectPUBLIC TAPS
dc.subjectQUALITY OF SERVICE
dc.subjectREVENUE COLLECTION
dc.subjectSANITATION
dc.subjectSUBSIDIZATION
dc.subjectTARGETED SUBSIDY
dc.subjectTARIFF STRUCTURE
dc.subjectUSER CHARGES
dc.subjectUTILITIES
dc.subjectUTILITY SERVICES
dc.subjectVOLUME OF WATER
dc.subjectWATER BILLS
dc.subjectWATER SECTOR
dc.subjectWATER SOURCES
dc.subjectWATER SUBSIDIES
dc.subjectWATER SUBSIDY
dc.subjectWATER TARIFFS
dc.subjectWATER UTILITIES
dc.titleWater, Electricity, and the Poor : Who Benefits from Utility Subsidies?en
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.date.doiregistration2025-04-29T09:42:37.181517Z
okr.doctypePublications & Research::Brief
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/10/10026773/water-electricity-poor-benefits-utility-subsidies
okr.globalpracticeMacroeconomics and Fiscal Management
okr.globalpracticeGovernance
okr.globalpracticeWater
okr.guid782731468143039650
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum000333038_20081117004216
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum10026773
okr.identifier.report46472
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2008/11/17/000333038_20081117004216/Rendered/PDF/464720BRI0Box310PNOTE201WhoBenefits.pdfen
okr.topicTaxation and Subsidies
okr.topicGovernance::Regional Governance
okr.topicWater Supply and Sanitation::Town Water Supply and Sanitation
okr.topicEconomic Theory and Research
okr.topicWater Supply and Sanitation::Urban Water Supply and Sanitation
okr.topicMacroeconomics and Economic Growth
okr.unitAFT: Sustainable Dev Fr. Office (AFTSN)
okr.volume1 of 1
relation.isAuthorOfPublication059954cc-a249-5318-9829-61a08ded2637
relation.isAuthorOfPublication145013f5-76a3-5525-874a-d3ab1b1db9c5
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery145013f5-76a3-5525-874a-d3ab1b1db9c5
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