Signaling future or historical distribution grid costs via tariffs? : a welfare analysis of long-run incremental cost pricing

Abstract

The economic efficiency of distribution network tariffs may be enhanced by applying marginal cost pricing principles. This paper investigates the Long-Run Incremental Cost (LRIC) methodology, a marginal cost-based approach that has been applied in Great Britain since 2012. The long-term social welfare achieved under a coincident peak tariff set according to three different methods, i.e., LRIC, traditional historical cost-based allocation, and a theoretical benchmark, is analytically derived. The resulting social welfare is compared for a range of key system characteristics and the underlying mechanisms are discussed. The results provide evidence that LRIC is more efficient than historical cost-based allocation.