(c) Limitations of the Indicator: The wide variety of energy products available on
the market means a large number of prices need to be collected. For example, for road
transport, leaded and unleaded 95 octane petrol, leaded and unleaded 98 octane petrol,
diesel fuel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas can all be found
on the market. Normally, only a selection of those considered most representative can
be taken into account.
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Further problems include differing prices for different locations throughout the country;
for example, prices in remote rural areas are often much higher than in major cities. As
mentioned above, for some forms of energy, in particular electricity and gas, the price
per unit will depend on a variety of delivery conditions. The indicator can therefore only
be indicative of the price paid by a typical or standard consumer and cannot reflect the
full spectrum of consumer types and locations.
(d) Alternative Definitions/Indicators: In practice, the method proposed above
might prove difficult for an industry when no ‘list price’ exists and when industries
negotiate individual supply contracts with the coal producer or oil company. In this
case, the only solution is to carry out a sample survey of industry costs and to
calculate average unit prices defined as total cost/quantity purchased.
ASSESSMENT OF DATA
(a) Data Needed to Compile the Indicator: Energy prices.
(b) National and International Data Availability: For coal and petroleum products,
except aviation fuel, prices are generally available for developed countries, both
nationally and internationally (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development [OECD], Eurostat). For gas and electricity, the availability of price data
varies from country to country.
REFERENCES
• EEA, 2002. Energy and Environment in the European Union. Environmental
issue report no. 31. Copenhagen, Denmark: European Environment Agency.
• Eurostat, 1985–2002. Energy Prices. Luxembourg: Eurostat.
• Eurostat, 1990–2003. Electricity Prices. Luxembourg: Eurostat.
• Eurostat, 1990–2003. Gas Prices. Luxembourg: Eurostat.
• Eurostat, 2001. Electricity Prices: Price Systems. Luxembourg: Eurostat.
• Eurostat, 2001. Gas Prices: Price Systems. Luxembourg: Eurostat.
• IEA, various editions. Energy Prices and Taxes. Published quarterly. Paris,
France: International Energy Agency.
• OECD, various editions. Energy Prices. Paris, France: Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development.
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