When my sister moved from CA to WA - she about had a heart attack with her first heating bill - it was over $800.00 1n 2010, she had been at my mother's which was about one third of that. I told her Mother had her bill adjusted so it was an average every month and once a year she either had to pay some additional or had a credit. They were all electric. She said she contacted their company and have since been able to average too.