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When moving to China, you’re embarking in the maze of language barrier and China’s bureaucracy. Therefore, any small everyday task such as paying your bills might turn out to be a huge mountain to climb. Moreover, Beijing’s complex system of top-up cards and specialized ATMs can be confusing even for hardened expats. Here are some tips to point you in the right direction when you pay for utilities in Beijing.
In Beijing, the utility system mostly relies on a prepaid card basis: households usually have different top-up cards for electricity, gas and hot water which they have to recharge at the bank or though self-service machines. These cards have the same shape as credit cards and are provided by your landlord or your agent. Once credit has been bought, the card should be inserted into the appropriate meter (electricity, gas or hot water meter) so that it provides the household with electricity gas or hot water. Electricity is pre-paid at most apartments and some housing communities. Gas and water may be pre-paid. If not pre-paid, the resident is billed monthly.
Tip: Put your cards in a safe place and away from magnetic objects.
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Electricity
Your landlord or agent will give you a refillable electricity card. Keep it in a safe place so as not to lose it! Although this card is technically replaceable, it’s better to avoid the hassle of getting a new one.
As stated above, you will use this card to buy electricity units (calculated in kilowatt-hour). You can buy them at a bank or at an ATM. You will transfer the purchased units onto your electricity meter by inserting the card into it. The latter will then supply your accommodation with electricity until you have used up all your electricity units.
The meter should display in red digits how much units you have left. When you notice that your electricity falls below 50 units, i.e. you will soon run out of money to feed the electricity meter, you should refill your electricity card. Don’t wait too much to top up! Indeed, when there is no electricity left in the meter, the power in your accommodation will be cut until your next top up. Just the thought of you plunged in the dark after a long day of work should make you avoid this situation.
Usually, there is one card per meter and one meter per apartment. The electricity meters are to be found on the hallway of each floor, right next to your front door. If you can’t find yours though, don’t hesitate to ask your landlord or your neighbours. Some landlords can help you top up the electricity meter if you give them a certain amount each month. But most of the time, you’ll be responsible for recharging the electricity yourself at a bank.
In older hutong houses, topping up electricity is a different process; usually, you just take the meter number directly to China Postal Savings Bank and tell the clerk how much money you want to put on it. You can only pay in cash.
The monthly electricity bill can vary wildly depending on the season and type of housing you live in. In the depths of summer and winter, you might pay a higher amount due to the use of air conditioning and heating respectively. Similarly, a badly-insulated house with electric radiators usually eats up a lot of electricity in the winter. Make a habit of tracking your monthly electricity consumption and over time you’ll develop a much better sense of how much to put on the card.
Tip: China generally uses 220V and 50Hz (HK is 200V, Taiwan is 110V). As for the plugs and sockets, any standard socket in Beijing displays both a round two-pin part, where European plugs can fit, and a three-pin part in a V shape.
More details about how to pay for utilities – buy electricity in Beijing
How to pay for electricity at the bank
You have two options: Get help from a bank clerk or top up your card through one of the ATMs.
At the counter of a bank
If you decide to top up at the bank, you might want to bring your electricity card with you along with some cash. When you enter the bank, take a number and wait until your number is called. Once you get to a service window, give the clerk your electricity card and some money. If you know some Chinese, you can specify a number of units or a monetary amount; otherwise, it should be clear why you are here for.
At the ATM machine
To top up your card at the ATM machine, you’ll have to go through a Chinese-language menu. It is relatively easy to follow if you have some Chinese reading abilities. Otherwise, make sure you go with a Chinese-speaking friend who can give you a hand. (At China Merchants Bank, for example, you access the menu by selecting “No-Card Option.” You’ll then be prompted to enter your China Merchants Bank card number and insert the electricity card. You can then specify how many units of electricity (not RMB) you want to put on the card.)
Tip: Keep the receipts. Generally, this is a good habit to get into in China. Sometimes, the landlord will ask you for proof of payment – best to keep a record, just in case.
Once the card is charged go back to your compound. Insert the electricity card into the slot of the meter and hold it for at least 30 seconds until the meter is done reading it. You might hear a ‘beep’ when it is synced. The number on the meter should then be updated with the number of units you have just bought.
Should you lose your electricity card, don’t panic. Call the hotline of Beijing Electricity Corporation at 95598 (English service available). They will give you a number which you will need to bring to the bank along with housing contract to get a new card.
Electricity Sales Outlets
Bank of China – Counter , Hotline: 95566
Bank of Beijing – 24-hour Self-service Banking, Hotline: 96169
China Everbright Bank – 24-hour Self-service Banking, Hotline: 95595
China Merchants Bank – 24-hour Self-service Banking, Hotline: 95555
Agricultural Bank of China – Counter , Hotline: 95599
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China – Counter, ATM, Hotline: 95588
Gas
There are two ways to pay for gas:
At the beginning of every month, someone from the gas company will knock on your door to hand you over the water bill. Pay attention, he might also leave the bill on the bulletin board of each building. Don’t miss it! In some compounds, the management office takes care of this.
However, the most common way to pay gas is with a top-up card. Be aware that the top-up card system differs in each compound, so you’d better ask your landlord where to put money on your gas card. Once topped-up, the card can be inserted into your gas meter (usually located in the kitchen) for about 30 seconds to recharge it. One unit of gas costs around 2 RMB but the price varies in fancier compounds. 100 RMB buys you just over 40 units of gas, which should cover the average family for about a month. If you lose or damage it, call Beijing Gas at 96777 (Chinese only).
Many hutong homes have propane gas tanks that must be switched when they’re empty. Don’t worry; the process is much simpler than you think: Call Beijing Gas at 96777, an automated menu will play, press 2. There will be an agent at the end of the line. They don’t speak English, so you’ll have to ask a Chinese-speaking friend or learn to say the following: 要一罐燃气，送上门 (yao yi guan ranqi, song shang men). That means, “I need a propane tank to be delivered to my door. The agent will ask for your account number, which the landlord should have given you when you moved in. Once the agent finds your account number, they may or may not ask you what time you want the tank delivered. If you don’t specify a time, note that it may take several hours. That’s it! Now just sit back and wait. The propane tank should cost around RMB 120.
More details about how to pay for utilities – buy gas in Beijing
Water
There are two ways to pay a water bill:
Water costs 4 RMB per cubic meter. Usually, someone from the water company will check your water meter and issue a bill. If you are at home, the bill must be paid immediately; otherwise, the bill will be pinned on your door. You will then have to pay the bill at the bank within 10 days.
In some compounds though, you will be charged separately for reclaimed water and hot water. As with electricity, you will be provided a card which you will have to charge at the bank or at the building management. You’d better contact your building management to be clear about where you have to buy credit.
A few words on tap water:
You can’t drink tap water here, even if the water has been boiled, as heavy metals will still remain. We kindly advise you to buy a water dispenser and order matching water containers of 18l. Reliable brands include Nestle (雀巢), and Watson’s (屈臣氏), which has English service. You can order them through a bottled water company, a supermarket, or an online shopping site. Or buy bottled water like Nongfu Spring (农夫山泉), that comes in 1,5l or 4l jugs. Buying in bulk usually saves money; for example, you can pre-pay ten jugs of Nongfu Spring for around RMB 200 and the company will throw in a bottle for free. When the jug is empty, the delivery man will exchange your old bottle for a new one and collect one of your water coupons (水票, shuipiao).
More details about how to pay for utilities – buy water in Beijing.
Internet
There are three major network providers in Beijing: China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, although China Unicom is the most common Internet service provider.
For broadband Internet, make sure there’s a landline (a telephone line) in your apartment. If there is not, you can have one installed by a network provider. Make sure you go to their service office with your passport and together with your landlord, who will need to bring their Chinese ID.
Once the landline is in place, call your internet provider’s hotline to apply for installation
China Unicom: 10010 (press 9 for English service)
China Telecom: 10000
Installation is typically done within 7 working days. You can also choose to be charged on a yearly or a monthly basis. Broadband prices range from RMB 1,500-3,000 per year depending on Internet speed, which vary from 4MB to 100MB. Don’t be fooled, however; you’re lucky to reach speeds of 20MB in Beijing, so don’t overpay for a service that won’t be delivered. Get 12 months for the price of ten if you pay the Internet fee upfront, or pay monthly at no discount.
Once Internet is set up at your house, you’ll no doubt want to install Wi-Fi. You can purchase a wireless rooter at any electronics market, at Wal-mart, Carrefour or on websites like Amazon China or JD.com.We advise you to opt for the following brands: TP-Link, Net-Core, Net-Gear, TENDA, and Buffalo. Follow the instructions to configure the router and set up a password; if they’re in Chinese, simply search for English instructions for your specific model online. Try Bing, as Google is usually blocked in China.
