25 Years of Electricity Market Liberalisation: Impact on Prices and the Economy (Österreichs Energie)
SaveSummary
- Since full market opening in 2001, households and businesses in Austria can freely choose their electricity supplier.p.3
- Around 345,000 customers switched electricity supplier in 2025.p.3
- GDP is on average 0.11 % higher between 2001 and 2022 than without liberalisation.p.4
- Employment rises by around 2,700 jobs per year on average compared with a situation without liberalisation.p.4
- From 1990 to 2025, electricity consumption rose by almost 50 % while installed power plant capacity grew by around 87 %.p.4
- Since October 2001 all electricity customers, and since October 2002 all gas customers, can freely choose their supplier.p.7
Key insights
- The quantitative analysis shows that liberalisation led to lower electricity prices overall compared with a modelled scenario without liberalisation.p.3
- Price effects for 2023-2025 are much lower because higher fuel costs raised electricity prices.p.4
- The study builds on a preliminary study from 2021.p.7
- Grids remained regulated monopolies while generation and sales were opened to competition.p.3
- Photovoltaics and wind power have become significant parts of the Austrian power plant fleet.p.4
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