We've been on an annual budget plan for years where they bill you a fixed amount each month, and then we ante-up any overage in July and they issue an adjusted rate for the next year based on current cost. My monthly was $182/mo. but now it's $454/mo. effective July. Our boiler uses oil for both hot water and baseboard heat, and it's not like we can just rip it out and replace it with all-electric stuff without a huge outlay.
I'm really torqued over this. If you're a heating oil consumer, prepare yourself to take it in the rear.
We stopped level billing and our electric bill went from over $440/month to $180. Then, we got a notice from our electric company that due to high energy costs, blah, blah, blah, our rates would increase. This month's bill was $350 - still not as high as level billing.