Volkswirtschaftliche Analyse Von Regulativen Eingriffen Bei Preisänderungen Von Treibstoffen (Economic Analysis of Regulating Price Changes in the Gasoline Market)

25 Pages Posted: 11 May 2012

See all articles by Heinz Handler

Heinz Handler

Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO); Vienna University of Technology - Institute of Statistics and Mathematical Methods in Economics, Research Group Economics (ECON); Policy Crossover Center Vienna-Brussels

Date Written: May 10, 2012

Abstract

In Austria the market of gasoline products is dominated by a few large companies. Before mid-2009 retail prices at individual gas stations could exhibit gyrations during the day, but over time seemed to follow a common path which could be interpreted as the result of tacit collusion. To increase transparency for consumers, daily price adaptions have been regulated since: The publicly posted gasoline prices may be increased only once per day, while they may be lowered any time. The paper evaluates the original regulation of mid-2009 which did not provide for a unified hour of the day for the price increases and it argues in favor of one specific hour for all types of gas stations. This was actually implemented (at 12 noon) in early 2011.

Note: Downloadable document is in German.

Keywords: gasoline prices, Austria

JEL Classification: L13, L71, Q40

Suggested Citation

Handler, Heinz J., Volkswirtschaftliche Analyse Von Regulativen Eingriffen Bei Preisänderungen Von Treibstoffen (Economic Analysis of Regulating Price Changes in the Gasoline Market) (May 10, 2012). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2055608 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2055608

Heinz J. Handler (Contact Author)

Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) ( email )

P.O. Box 91
Arsenal 20
Vienna, A-1103
Austria
+43 1 79826010 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.wifo.ac.at

Vienna University of Technology - Institute of Statistics and Mathematical Methods in Economics, Research Group Economics (ECON) ( email )

Wiedner Hauptstraße 8/105-3
Vienna, 1040
Austria

HOME PAGE: http://www.econ.tuwien.ac.at

Policy Crossover Center Vienna-Brussels ( email )

Vienna
Austria

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