A system operable to monitor the consumption of a commodity at the premises of a consumer may comprise a billing system interfacing with suppliers and retailers of the commodity to facilitate the purchase and distribution of the commodity. The billing system may include a payment structure that can alleviate the burden of consumers having to pay for an entire delivery of the commodity—the consumer is only responsible for paying for the amount actually consumed during a time period at a prevailing price during that time—as well as significantly reduce a retailer's working capital required to float the purchase of the commodity before it is paid by its consumers. Such a billing system and payment structure may eliminate or reduce the need for a retailer to borrow against receivables to pay for such purchases.