We set up our eldest daughter who's just finished 2nd year at Warwick Uni with a contract mobile with Vodafone. It has a usage cap. If she goes over a certain amount, it is blocked for outgoing use and she has to wait until the bill is paid by the direct debit each month.
We didn't plan this, it's just there - and it caught her out last month.
It would be better is she could at least have an emergency few quid of credit, but lesson learnt hopefully and she'll be more careful going forward.

No bad thing really it as it makes her think twice about her phone usage and clearly it doesn't help Vodafone profits, they could quite easily let her run up another £Xs a month and take the money, so a degree of responsibility exercised by them.

Most of us are on smart meters now at home, so of course it shouldn't be impossible that we could be rationed, but I'm not sure that's such a good if idea. The great unwashed would be likely to stay so where as they well heeled could nip down to their local health club and take a sauna and a shower.

But I would suggest a cap system may be a good idea with a pay element on the metres. So once you have reached your daily, weekly or monthly limit, you could then insert your debit card to get an additional amount of "emergency" water or power.

That way no one could go without, but certainly it would make everyone consider their usage.

That deals with Domestic. Commercial users clearly they will not abuse the utilities as it hits them in the pocket so we then only need to address the issue of the Public Services.
Pi$$ing against the wind turbines there I think :/