Assessing Willingness to Pay for Urban Water, Wastewater, Gas and Electricity Delivery Service Standards

This project aims to develop understanding of the nature of willingness to pay (WTP) for utility services standards and the appropriate role of WTP in regulating prices and service quality. Given the current prevalence of service failure in Australia and the pressure on governments and utilities to invest in maintaining and improving infrastructure, this research is necessary to assess the level of investment required and the extent to which customers should pay. The research will be directly applicable to all gas, electricity, water and wastewater utilities and regulators in Australia. Results will also be crucial in developing regulation policy relating to the use of S-factors and regulation of service quality in Australia