Liberalizations of the service for gas supply: not neglecting quality for clients

This study aims at a reflection on the consequences of the liberalization and privatization processes which in the last decade have also involved the gas supply sector, focusing in particular on the quality for the citizens/clients. As a matter of fact, the process of the opening of the market implied the introduction (wherever possible) of mechanisms of competition in the market, whereas in contexts of natural monopoly mechanisms of competition for the market were foreseen, and therefore entrustments pro tempore to public or private subjects to be appointed by means of a public call for tenders. However, in the absence of a clear indication for the criteria of the entrustments, as it emerges from the records of the last calls for tenders, there is often a tendency to privilege the direct profit of the appointing local public administration rather than the quality of the service for the client. Moreover, too high shares in the profits risk to compromise the ability of the operator to make necessary investments to safeguard and improve the quality of the gas supply system. It would be advisable to define a sample call for tenders which takes into account the efficiency of the service clarifying the quality variables for the citizen-user, such as for example the continuity of the service, security and commercial quality.