Question

Utility companies routinely ask state commissions for permission to raise utility rates. What does this suggest...

Utility companies routinely ask state commissions for permission to raise utility rates. What does this suggest about the price elasticity of demand? Why is demand so (in) elastic?

Homework Answers

Answer #1

When a price increase results in an increase in revenue, demand is relatively inelastic. When utilities ask for a rate increase to increase revenue means that the demand for gas, electricity, and local telephone service is inelastic. Demand is price inelastic when a change in price causes a smaller percentage change in demand. It occurs where there is a price elasticity of demand (PED) of less than one. This inelasticity in case of utilities is generated by the fact that these services tend to be necessities, have few good substitutes, and, for some people, may be relatively a small portion of income.

Know the answer?
Your Answer:

Post as a guest

Your Name:

What's your source?

Earn Coins

Coins can be redeemed for fabulous gifts.

Not the answer you're looking for?
Ask your own homework help question
Similar Questions
What does it mean if I tell you that the price elasticity of demand of apples...
What does it mean if I tell you that the price elasticity of demand of apples is 3.2, while the price elasticity of demand of apple juice is 1.5? In your answer, be sure to explain what elasticity is and whether you consider these products to be elastic or inelastic. Finally, suggest reasons why these elasticities might make sense. Are there complements? Substitutes? Explain.
“Perhaps most interesting is that Chipotle made a choice that consumer goods companies so far have...
“Perhaps most interesting is that Chipotle made a choice that consumer goods companies so far have been unwilling to make: The chain Chipotle was willing to raise prices and sacrifice traffic in the name of profitability. Prices rose around 5 percent, but total revenue rose only 2.2 percent — meaning traffic declined.” April 27, 1919 Bloomberg View By “traffic” they mean quantity demanded. What does this imply about the price elasticity of demand for Chipotle? Explain. (Think before you start...
1. Graphically, what does the demand curve look like when demand is perfectly elastic? When it...
1. Graphically, what does the demand curve look like when demand is perfectly elastic? When it is perfectly inelastic? 2. What is the relationship--if there is one--between the price elasticity of demand and the slope of the demand curve? 3. In the context of elasticity, how can goods be classified as "substitutes," "complements," or "independent goods?" (Hint: think about this in terms of the number values used to define elasticity.)
According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, many drug companies are finding themselves...
According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, many drug companies are finding themselves having to lower the net prices of their products (the actual price charged after rebates), even though list prices may be increasing. Novartis AG said its net prices “slipped” in 2018 and would continue to fall in 2019. Other companies reported similar expectations in their net pricing plans. However, demand for pharmaceuticals is typically characterized as being inelastic, that is, consumers tend to be...
Total utility can be objectively measured in numbers that indicate usefulness or benefit to the consumer....
Total utility can be objectively measured in numbers that indicate usefulness or benefit to the consumer. ____ 2. Consumers should purchase quantities of a good to the point where MU > P. ____ 3. Voluntary exchange requires that there must be mutual gain. ____ 4. Points along a budget line represent the maximum combinations of two commodities that a consumer can afford. ____ 5. The budget line represents a consumer's preferences for a commodity. ____ 6. A change in consumer...
1. What is the relationship between price elasticity of demand and revenues? How do you find...
1. What is the relationship between price elasticity of demand and revenues? How do you find the elasticity at any point on a linear demand curve? 2. What is the marginal utility of a dollar? How does our understanding of the rational consumer allow us to interpret demand as a schedule of marginal benefits? 3. Solve the consumer’s problem when utility is logarithmic, so that the marginal utility of an apple, say, is equal to 1/Qa, where Qa is the...
          39.. How is the unemployment rate related to the opportunity cost of college? (1 point)...
          39.. How is the unemployment rate related to the opportunity cost of college? (1 point) A) As the unemployment rate increases, the opportunity cost of attending college falls because fewer opportunities for employment exist. B) As the unemployment rate decreases, the opportunity cost of attending college falls since it becomes easier to pay for tuition when employed. C) As the unemployment rate increases, the opportunity cost of attending college increases because fewer people are giving up the opportunity of...
3.What does this line suggest about the relationship between total revenue from admissions at the Metropolitan...
3.What does this line suggest about the relationship between total revenue from admissions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and admission fees. Explain suing your understanding of the relationship between total revenue and price elasticity of demand. Support your answer with a graph if possible. They can probably charge much more and not lose a customer.” Many museums find themselves having to choose between public policy considerations, which would promote access and thereby lower or eliminate admission fees, and economic...
Space limit is one page; graphs are optional. What does each of the following statements imply...
Space limit is one page; graphs are optional. What does each of the following statements imply about price elasticity of demand? a. "If the price of saltine crackers goes up by one penny, I will stop buying them altogether." b. "I will buy just about the same quantity of cigarettes no matter what the price is." c. "I will spend my entire budget (income) on hamburgers no matter what the price is." Please use either a graph or a formula...
The (market-level) choke price for admission to Lake Lurleen State Park is $25. The current admission...
The (market-level) choke price for admission to Lake Lurleen State Park is $25. The current admission fee is $5, which generates gross revenue of $50,000 for the state park service.To receive full credit show all work. a.Derive the underlying parameters of the market-level demand function for annual visits to Lake Lurleen State Park. b.Obtain an estimate of the elasticity of demand for visits at the current price-quantity combination. Interpret this estimate. c.Obtain an estimate of total willingness to pay for...