I manually pay my electric and gas. I can skip if for a month (or two) and not a problem. Except sometimes (once)..
I have no idea why. I feel its just some random thing depending on who's running the dept that day.
We experienced the same thing in College when after paying our electric bill for two months, they shut our power off without notice. Upon digging it was because we were still listed as "Residents" on the bills we were paying.