Utilities and Bills

Water 水 shuǐ

In some apartments water meters are read about once a month by meter readers. It may be read less often in some apartment complexes. The meter reader will come around and knock on your door, read the meter and then write a receipt. You should pay the meter reader directly and she will give you a receipt.

Lately, some apartment complexes have switched to pre-paid meters; that is one for the bathroom and one for the kitchen. To buy water take the cards to the Water Board and then when you get home insert your cards into the appropriate meter to transfer the funds.

Electricity 电 diàn

Electricity is prepaid. You will have a power key which has computer chip in it and a Electricity certificate. You need to take these each time you go to buy electricity. You can buy electricity in many Jingong Supermarkets (must use bank card), many banks, and any branch of the State Grid. When you are down to your last 10 units of power, the electricity in your apartment will automatically switch off as a warning. You should make sure you plug your power key into the meter to switch the power back on and then by more power within twenty hours. (Do not leave your power key plugged into the meter!) You are better off buying more power, say 1000 units at one time to save you the inconvenience of having to go so often to buy power each time; sometimes there are long queues.

Telephone 电话 diànhuà

When moving into a new apartment, you should ask your landlord if the phone will be in his name or whether it needs to be put into your name. You can pay your phone bill monthly at several banks as well as most China Post branches. You can tell the clerk the number or you can hand it to her written on a card with the number and name of the person whose name the phone account is in. When your phone is cut off, go and pay the bill and it will be reconnected. Make sure when you are moving out of an apartment you have settled your phone account and have it closed.

Heating 暖气 nuǎnqì

In Tianjin nearly all apartment have radiators to provide heat. However, these radiators only provide heat for four months per year, usually from November 15th to March 15th. Occasionally, if the weather is cold, the heating may come a few days earlier. You should arrange to pay your landlord this annual lump fee once he has showed you the receipt before the heating comes on. If you don’t pay, your apartment will not be heated. The heating fee is calculated on how many square meters your apartment is.

Apartment Complex Management Fee 物业费 wùyèfèi

For many apartment complexes there is a fee (wùyèfèi 物业费) which pays security personnel, gardening, rubbish collection, grounds maintenance etc. This is usually an annual fee but you may be able to tell the person collecting the fee that you will pay for three months or six months at one time. Make sure you tell the collector when you moved in. I have discovered that a couple of my previous landlords had not paid their Apartment Complex Management Fee for several years. You don’t want to pay for when you weren’t living there – that is your landlord’s responsibility. The same goes for when you are going to move out.

Gas 煤气 méiqì

Although a few apartments use bottled gas, most apartments have gas piped in. Gas meters are usually read monthly. A meter reader will come around and knock on your door. Let her in and she’ll read your meter. Pay the money directly to the meter reader and she will give you a receipt. If you are not at home for two consecutive months of meter reader visits, then the meter reader will leave you a notice on or next to your front door telling you to go a particular office to pay the fee. Make sure you take a reading of the meeting before you go to the office and write it down on the notice to show them and pay them.