If the warmer weather has you dreading a spike in your energy bill, there might be a way to even things out.

Many energy providers offer so-called budget-bill or level-payment plans that allow you to pay a set monthly amount for energy.

For most people, this option won't actually save you any money, since you'll be paying the same total amount per year on energy regardless of how you slice it. But it can be a useful budgeting tool because you won't have wide fluctuations in your bill during the summer and winter months.

These plans "smooth out your expenses so you don't get a nasty surprise," says Eric H. Kies, a financial planner with the Planning Center, a financial-planning firm in Moline, Ill.

And having a predictable amount to pay each month makes you less likely to fall behind or default on utility bills, says Jessica Patel, a personal-finance analyst at Bankrate.com.

To determine what your monthly payment will be under a plan, some companies take the total amount you paid the previous calendar year and average it out over the next 12 months. But if you exceed this estimated average, you'll have to pay the difference at the end of the year. If you end up consuming less energy than estimated, you'll get a credit.

Other companies re-evaluate your bill every few months to account for big deviations in your average energy usage and adjust your payments up or down accordingly.

A handful of utilities, including Georgia Power in Atlanta, offer a third option where you pay a monthly fee that stays flat for one year regardless of your energy usage. The flat fee comprises two parts: a premium—typically up to 10% of your monthly bill—and a second portion, which is determined by both your energy usage over the past year and your expected usage over the upcoming year based on the weather in your area. And you won't have to pay for any overages.

Write to Lindsay Gellman at lindsay.gellman@wsj.com