I agree with you, that's why I can't believe it exists anywhere. What you mention is basically to reduce the costs of counting, and is still usage-based metering, just with a reasonable guess to make payment more frequent.

Power in Greece works the same way, except you (are supposed to) get the guess one month and the count the next (and pay the difference). In practice, they count less often than that.

> What you mention is basically to reduce the costs of counting, and is still usage-based metering, just with a reasonable guess to make payment more frequent.

That's not the motive where I live. There's basically 2 reasons: (1) customers (esp. those, often less well off, that resort to “money earned, money spent”) like the predictability of it; and (2) depending on the season spending changes significantly (heating, cooling), whereas salaries don't.

Usually the corrective amount is also paid out over a period of months if it exceeds X% of one month's spend.

Here in Norway, especially 10-20 years ago but still not uncommon today, you will find flats for rent with electricity included in the monthly price. Student housing especially.

We own an old 170 sq.m. semi-detached house, and the electricity bill for June was 20 euros. That's with all heating & hot water coming from electricity (heat pumps) and owning an EV that we charge at home.