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1.
Efficiency in the water industry 总被引:3,自引:1,他引:2
John Cubbin 《Utilities Policy》2005,13(4):289-293
This paper considers the use of efficiency measurement in the regulation of the water industry in England, Wales, and Scotland. Ofwat employs econometric models; some examples of these are provided together with an explanation of the way Ofwat applies them to the financial model for each company. Finally we consider the question of the accuracy of these models and conclude that, while the models probably do contain information about companies' scope for cost reductions, Ofwat probably overestimates the quality of its models. Specifically Ofwat's estimate that 90% of the water model residuals and 80% of the sewerages models can be attributed to efficiency has not been given an explicit justification and probably overstates the case. 相似文献
2.
The regulation of capex in water 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
In this paper, the author provides a critique of the approaches adopted by Ofwat (the regulator of the water industry for England and Wales) with respect to the regulation of capex. The paper criticises the approach adopted by Ofwat of seeking to “get prices right” by setting forward looking price caps that attempt to estimate the efficient level of costs going forward. The paper then goes on to critique the comparative efficiency techniques applied in the process of determining water companies' price caps and argues for the establishment of a longer-term framework for the regulation of capex. 相似文献
3.
Michael Keil Howard Perry Julia Humphrey Robert Holdway 《Water and Environment Journal》2013,27(2):253-260
Embodied (or embedded) greenhouse gas emissions are commonly overlooked in corporate carbon accounting, although they can represent a large proportion of overall emissions. In this paper, we utilise embodied emission data submitted to Ofwat, the economic regulator of water and sewerage companies in England and Wales, as part of their review of price limits. This is the first time that water and sewerage companies have presented embodied emissions associated with their capital programmes. In total, embodied emissions add an extra 50% on top of companies' operational greenhouse gas emissions. We consider the drivers for embodied emissions and show that capital maintenance programmes are the largest source. We highlight the relationship between capital expenditure and embodied emissions, and discuss why there are significant differences in embodied emission intensities between companies. Many of the differences arise from the way the common methodology for estimating embodied emissions is applied. 相似文献
4.
ABSTRACTEstimating productivity change and its determinants is of great importance when measuring the performance of a firm. A true random effect cost model was employed to measure the cost efficiency of water companies in England and Wales from 1993 to 2016. Subsequently, total factor productivity change was estimated and decomposed into cost-efficiency change, technical change, scale efficiency change, output effect and residual price effect. The results indicate that the English and Welsh water industry increased its productivity over the period examined at a rate of about 2.1%, and it was influenced primarily by technical change. The price reviews appear to have a positive impact on the productivity of water-only companies during the whole period examined. In the case of water and sewerage companies, the 1994 and 1999 price reviews had a positive impact on productivity, whereas the last two price reviews had an adverse impact. 相似文献
5.
Capital efficiency at airports and related services 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
To deliver the aviation networks of the 21st century, it will be essential for regulators, airport operators and air navigation service providers to invest in both a timely and efficient manner. Yet applying the benchmarking and efficiency assessments that have helped yield improved operational performance poses a substantial challenge when those tools are applied to capital investment. This paper assesses four aspects important to meeting this challenge. First, the potential difficulties associated with efficiency assessment in the context of capital investment are identified. Second, developments in the methodologies and tools available to operators and regulators are outlined. Third, the experiences and lessons of applying these tools in the aviation sector are assessed. Finally, while the authors remain cautiously optimistic over the future possibilities for assessing capital efficiency in the aviation sector, they conclude by arguing that there is a significant role for regulatory incentives to complement efficiency assessments. 相似文献
6.
Productivity and efficiency in the water industry 总被引:2,自引:0,他引:2
Over the past twenty years there has been increasing interest in the productivity and efficiency of, and the optimal structures for, the water supply and wastewater industries. In part this interest has manifested itself in the increased use of numerous statistical techniques to determine the productivity and efficiency of the water sector in a variety of countries. The purpose of this paper is threefold. First it briefly reviews the various measures that have been used to gauge the levels of productivity and efficiency in the water sector, with particular reference to input and output data requirements of these measures. Second it summarises the key structural findings that have been determined from this research, particularly with respect to economies of scale and scope, public versus private ownership and the impact of regulation. Third, it considers potential areas for potential future research, such as the effect of environmental management activities (including water conservation) and regulation on productivity and efficiency, the role of wastewater as a potential source of potable or ‘fit-for-purpose’ water and the relationship between water supply and urban planning. 相似文献
7.
This paper outlines an econometric analysis of business planning data examining the scope for efficiency improvements of regulated firms in regulatory price reviews. Historical data may not fully reflect current industry cost structures, whereas forecast data offers evidence on cost evolution. Business Plans can provide useful information on planned elimination of inefficiencies in response to regulatory pressure. Network Rail submitted such data to the British railway regulator at the last Periodic Review (2013). Using a cost frontier model, the organisation's business units are analysed to determine the extent of their plans to eliminate internal inefficiencies and response to regulatory incentives. 相似文献
8.
The evaluation of the economic efficiency of regulatory schemes is essential for regulators and utilities. In this study it is analysed for the first time the welfare costs of non-marginal cost pricing in the water supply in England and Wales, by computing the deadweight loss of the water only companies (WoCs) that existed over the period of 1993–2009. The results indicate that the current price schemes can have substantial efficiency costs. Our estimates show that the loss of efficiency for the WoCs lies between 15 and 60 million GBP over the period 1993–2009. These amounts could have been redistributed either to the companies in terms of profits or to the consumers via price reductions. The methodology and results of this study are of great interest for both regulators and water utilities managers to evaluate the effectiveness of price regulation and make informed decisions. 相似文献
9.
《Urban Water Journal》2013,10(7):682-691
ABSTRACTImproving the cost efficiency and quality of service across time corresponds to two important targets for regulated water companies. Following a pioneering approach, we have evaluated the influence of a set of exogenous and quality of service variables on the English and Welsh water companies’ costs over the period of 1996–2009. A true-fixed effects stochastic cost frontier model was applied since it also allowed computing of the productivity change of the water companies and their drivers. Results have shown that quality of service has an influence on water companies´ costs. This issue is very relevant for bursts in water mains since investments in reducing them will lead to a reduction in the water supply interruptions and water losses. Results of this study illustrate the importance of developing long-term planning investment programmes in the water industry. 相似文献
10.
高校工程管理中的项目质量成本管理研究 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
结合项目质量成本管理的概念,阐述了质量成本管理对于高校基建工程的意义,分析探讨了质量成本与高校基建工程管理的内在联系,提出了在高校基建工程中运用质量成本管理的几点建议,以保证学校工程的质量,节约成本。 相似文献
11.
Increasingly strict legislation, escalating costs and external pressures are causing the water industry to look for alternative strategies to agricultural recycling for the disposal of biosolids. Although the development of the 'safe sludge matrix'has encouraged agricultural recycling, negative press has hampered this outlet and public perception is seen as a major threat. Accordingly, many water companies are looking towards thermal-reduction technologies and have invested in thermal dryers and sludge incinerators; however, such technology has high capital costs and complex maintenance and operator requirements. An alternative method, i.e. co-combustion, is becoming more popular in mainland Europe. Unlike incineration/drying, the capital expenditure is low and operator/maintenance risks are minimised.
This paper (i) discusses a case study in which 40 000 dry tonnes of sludge per annum have been successfully combusted since 1996, and (ii) explores how this experience could be applied in a UK situation. 相似文献
This paper (i) discusses a case study in which 40 000 dry tonnes of sludge per annum have been successfully combusted since 1996, and (ii) explores how this experience could be applied in a UK situation. 相似文献
12.
An empirical method was developed for the prediction of the service life of building components, based on an evaluation of their actual performance and on the identification of failure mechanisms affecting their durability. The service life of exterior components subjected to normal service conditions is predicted. Four types of exterior claddings are exemplified: cementitious mortar, synthetic rendering, ceramic mosaic, and wet‐fixing stone cladding. The proposed prediction models yield high degrees of fit to the data (R 2 in the range of 0.86 to 0.93 at a 0.0001 level of significance). Life cycle costs (LCC) analysis – following service‐life prediction results – leads to the conclusion that maintenance and replacements costs account for 10–80% of initial capital costs. Synthetic rendering exhibited the highest LCC effectiveness, reflecting durability and low capital costs. The method can be used for planning preventive maintenance, evaluating economic implications of failures, and planning service life. 相似文献
13.
Gavin A. Wood 《Urban Policy and Research》2013,31(4):425-440
Abstract There is disturbing evidence of a contraction in the stock of low income private rental housing. In this paper we offer evidence indicating that federal government tax preferences, economies of scope and higher operating costs are part of the explanation for this contraction. The Australian Bureau of Statistics Rental Investors’ Survey is used to gauge whether low income housing tax credits and tax‐free capital gains thresholds can be used to promote the supply of low income rental housing. 相似文献
14.
阐述了基建领域项目单价纠纷的含义,分析了施工标准变化引发项目单价纠纷的成因,并为解决该问题提供了法律上的对策,从而保证国家基础设施建设项目及时竣工。 相似文献
15.
Gavin A. Wood 《Urban Policy and Research》2001,19(4):425-440
There is disturbing evidence of a contraction in the stock of low income private rental housing. In this paper we offer evidence indicating that federal government tax preferences, economies of scope and higher operating costs are part of the explanation for this contraction. The Australian Bureau of Statistics Rental Investors' Survey is used to gauge whether low income housing tax credits and tax-free capital gains thresholds can be used to promote the supply of low income rental housing. 相似文献
16.
This paper reports the investigation results of capital budgeting evaluation practices of Hong Kong building contractors. The survey aims to identify the popularity of various techniques for capital budgeting evaluation and to measure the changes of the practices longitudinally by comparing the results of the current study (2004) with those of the similar surveys conducted in 1994 and 1999. The current survey results revealed that the “formal financial evaluation” was the most popular technique for capital budget evaluation. The “payback period” was the mostly used investment appraisal technique. For risk appraisal techniques, “shortening payback period” occupied the first position. The “planning programming” remained as the most popular management science technique. Moreover, a comparison of the practices of large contracting firms was carried out to view the changes over the last 10 years. The results showed that the practice of capital budget evaluation was emphasized. The popularity of employing investment appraisal and risk analysis techniques was dropping. In addition, the capital budgeting evaluation techniques examined were fitted into a discriminant function analysis (DFA), which allowed contracting firms to be classified in accordance with their predominant characteristics in the practices. The classification result was 89.1% of all cases were correctly classified. 相似文献
17.
Unbalanced bidding is a serious problem for the construction owner because it may increase the cost of construction The most common way to mathematically unbalance a bid is frontloading where a bidder overstates the unit price of line items scheduled to be performed early in the project and understates the unit price of line items performed later. A bidder can also overstate the unit price of a line item whose quantity was somehow underrated by the engineer. If the owner proves that a mathematically unbalanced bid costs more to perform, the bid is said to be materially unbalanced, in which case the owner can reject the bid. A model is presented that formalizes and automates the process of detecting mathematically and materially unbalanced bids by comparing line item prices with the engineer’s estimates and the average prices offered by the bidders. This model allows owners to detect and reject unbalanced bids, and deters bidders from unbalancing their bid. 相似文献
18.
《Urban Water Journal》2013,10(8):732-740
ABSTRACTThe present paper aims at the establishment and testing of construction cost functions for wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) based on their hydraulic and physical characteristics. A five-step methodology is followed: (1) database construction and asset characterization; (2) present cost value calculation; (3) key parameters and cost functions establishment; (4) cost modelling; and (5) model testing. A large set of construction costs and infrastructure data from several Portuguese wastewater utilities is analysed including 147 WWTP. Simple linear regression analysis is carried out to obtain cost functions for five types of WWTP. The cost modelling also includes the estimation of 90% prediction bands. Each developed cost function is tested for checking their statistical significance. Results allow the estimation of capital costs of new WWTP and the assessment of the current value of existing assets at the strategical and tactical planning levels without the knowledge of the specific components of the facilities. 相似文献
19.
This paper estimates economies of scale and scope for 55 major Australian urban utilities over the period 2005/06 to 2008/09. The models used specify operating and capital costs as a function of chemical and microbiological compliance, water losses, water quality and service, water main breaks, total connected properties, and urban water supplied. The input variables used to help determine water utility costs include the density of properties served and the sourcing of water from bulk suppliers, groundwater, recycling and surface water. In terms of economies of scale, the evidence suggests strong economies of scale at relatively low levels of output (50–75% of current mean output). In terms of product-specific economies of scale (increasing the scale of a specific output in isolation), there is substantially stronger evidence that the operating costs of urban water utilities would benefit from increasing scale with regard to chemical compliance, water quality and service complaints, and the number of connected properties. In contrast, capital costs would benefit from scale increases with regard to the management of water losses and water main breaks. For economies of scope, it is clear that there are substantial cost benefits from the joint production of treated quality water delivered across a network with minimal water losses and main breaks. The main cost advantage at all levels of output is decreasing water losses, and this would benefit both operating and capital costs. 相似文献
20.
Arturo Trapote Arturo Albaladejo Pedro Simón 《Civil Engineering and Environmental Systems》2014,31(4):304-310
Of all the costs associated with the operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), those associated with energy use tend to be the most significant. From this point of view, it is hence logical that energy efficiency and saving strategies should be one of the current focuses of debate amongst those involved with the management of WWTPs. The present study's objective is to determine the correlation between size and energy consumption for a WWTP. To this end, 90 WWTPs currently in service were analysed and their energetic impact quantified in terms of kWh/m3 of water treated. The results obtained demonstrate that energy consumption ratio increases as the size of WWTPs decreases, either in terms of treatment volume or population equivalent served. 相似文献