Paying for Utilities
Jun 18th, 2007 under ArticlesHow does one pay for one’s utility bills?
In some cases, the landlord does the paying for you and then comes to sort out the accounts with you. I’ve had that before.
In other cases, you’re given three cards, one for each of the following: electricty, gas and water. Below are shots of the electricity (green state grid card) and gas (blue card) bills. The cards are important because they contain your ID and also the relevant address. You need the ID number when you pay, while the address works as a double-check.
Also take note, for those who’ve registered a phone line, that you also have to pay for that on a monthly/bimonthly basis.
For electricity, gas and water, you either pay on a monthly or bimonthly basis. You go to some affiliate bank and pay there. No, it doesn’t need to be a bank you bank with. But it needs to be a bank where you can pay for that particular utility. In other words, the bank helps the utility company collect the bills.
If you’re late, you’ll find some bill of sort stuck on your door. And if you drag even longer than you should, they might turn off your electricity or gas. Late-payers can no longer pay at the bank. For example, I was late for electricity payment, and had to go to the State Grid Payment center, one of whose branches is close to the junction of Zhujiang and Zhongshan Road.
you’ll get a slip of paper at your door telling you to pay up at their sevice centers or at certain banks. it says on the slip that everyday late means an extra 3% fine.
but don’t worry if you got the slip but you were not in when the person came to check your meter. in such case, you’re not obliged to pay. if your meter is checked, then you have to pay asap.
the lady calls you and you no longer pay at bank.
there are two locations you can pay at.
one is at shui xi men, which is too far away for me.
I go to #4 bei men qiao (north gate bridge) to pay. it’s close by xinjiekou and is the southward externsion of danfeng street (the street on which MUMA is)
My current landlord in Suzhou (a nice elderly guy from Shanghai who speaks English) pays the bills for me and then calls me to arrange time for him to come to my apartment or meet somewhere so I can pay him the bill and he gives me the receipts.
In Guangzhou I lived in a modern high-rise block who had a utility payment office in the lobby - I’d get my bill posted onto my door a few days before the due date and I’d take the bill and money to the cashier’s office - very simple.