In the market for "home heating" consumers typically have several options (e.g., electricity, heating fuel, natural gas, propane, etc.), yet we often think of firms in this industry as behaving like monopolists. Discuss the context in which your electricity provider is a monopolist. Is this characterization universally applicable? Explain your answer


In this case, the firms are monopolists in the short run when consumers are unable to change their "home heating" systems. In the long run, consumers can change from electric appliances to natural gas appliances and thus lessen the monopoly power of utility providers. As long as consumers are able to substitute, in the long run the monopoly pricing power is reduced.

Economics

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Economics

What are the economic effects of an appreciation of the dollar in foreign exchange markets?

What will be an ideal response?

Economics