Price Cap and Revenue Cap Regulation Course

Quick Answer

Price Controls 101 is a recorded introductory course on how and why regulators use price caps and revenue caps to control monopolies in energy, water and transport. It explains what economic regulation is, why price controls are needed and how core regulatory tools encourage efficiency and investment, using examples from the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia.

Key takeaways

Network businesses in energy, water and transport face little or no competition, so regulators limit what they can charge or earn.
A price cap limits the price per unit, so revenue moves with volume. A revenue cap limits total revenue, so prices adjust when volumes change.
The course uses real regulatory models from the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia.
It shows how core regulatory tools promote efficiency and investment, and the trade-offs regulators face in designing them.

What will you be able to do after the course?

You will be able to explain how a price control works and why a regulator might choose a price cap or a revenue cap. The course is built around three outcomes.

Explain the caps. How price caps and revenue caps work in regulated sectors, and why they are used.
Read real models. How regulators in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia apply these tools to promote efficiency and investment.
Weigh the design choices. The trade-offs in regulatory design, and how lessons from abroad apply to local and regional contexts.

What does the course cover?

The lecture starts with why monopolies need regulating and builds up to how price and revenue caps are designed.

Introduction
Why we need price controls
What is economic regulation?
Price caps, revenue caps and core regulatory tools: with regulatory models from the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia

What do the key terms mean?

These are the terms the course uses most, in plain English.

Term	Meaning
Economic regulation	Rules set by a regulator, such as limits on prices or revenue, that protect customers where competition cannot.
Natural monopoly	An activity, such as running a water or electricity network, where one supplier can serve the market more cheaply than several competing ones.
Price control	A regulator's decision on how much a monopoly may charge or earn over a set period, often five years.
Price cap	A limit on the average price a company may charge per unit. If it sells more, it earns more.
Revenue cap	A limit on the total revenue a company may collect. If volumes change, prices adjust so revenue stays on target.
RPI-X	A cap that lets prices or revenue rise with retail price inflation minus an efficiency factor, X.
Allowed revenue	The amount a regulated company is permitted to recover from customers under its price control.

Who is the course for?

It suits anyone who needs a clear grounding in how utility prices are regulated, whether new to the field or working in infrastructure policy.

Regulatory professionals and policymakers
Lawyers, engineers and analysts in energy and utilities
Early-career professionals in economic regulation
Students and researchers in public policy and economics

Which courses should you take first?

Price Controls 101 is the first course in the on-demand Price Controls series. The later courses build on it, from building blocks and the cost of capital to incentives and case studies from Oman.

Browse every title on the MCC Economics courses page.

Why learn this from MCC Economics?

MCC Economics advises regulators, government bodies and utilities on price controls in the United Kingdom and the Gulf. The firm was founded in London in 2017. Its regulatory economics work covers energy, water, aviation and infrastructure. You can read the team's background on the people page.

MCC Economics has helped us better understand the most important issues for our stakeholders, including: charges, shareholder returns, debt payments and inflation impacts.

Leila N. Nasr, Section Head, Department of Energy, Abu Dhabi

Questions buyers ask before registering

Who teaches Price Controls 101?

See the instructor profiles near the top of this page for the current teaching team and their experience.

Is there a live session?

No. Price Controls 101 is recorded course material only, so there is no meeting to attend. You get immediate access to the materials once you register.

What do I receive when I register?

A video lecture, the presentation slides, a short quiz to check your understanding and a transcript.

Which countries does the course use as examples?

The course draws on real regulatory models from the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia.

Do I need prior knowledge of regulation?

No. Price Controls 101 is the starting point of the series, and early-career professionals and students are part of its intended audience.

Where do I pay?

Checkout is handled by Eventbrite, where MCC Economics and Finance is the organiser. The button on this page takes you straight to the course listing.

Can my team take the course together?

Contact MCC Economics through the consultation page to discuss access for a team or training tailored to your organisation.

Page last reviewed October 2026.

Price and revenue caps: how regulators control the prices of utility monopolies

Meet your course instructor

PJ McCloskey