Paying apartment fees

[mi.g.c]

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone has an experience paying electricity and/or heat pre-paid. Or if that kind of payment does not exist, then I'd just like to know how I could pay my electricity, water and internet bills. thanks.

[magores]

I live in the ChaoYang District of Beijing (Been here one month and 10 days).

When my (chinese) roommates and I were almost out of electricity, one of them took me to the bank and showed me what to do.

We went to the Agricultural Bank of China up the street from our Xi Li. (Not the BofChina, not the Commericial Bank, not the Agricultural and Commericial Bank.) For us, at least, it MUST be the Agricultural Bank.

There is a form on, or near, the counter. Pick up the form and a pen. I have a copy of the form in front of me right now, so I'll try to explain how I have to do it. Your specifics may vary...

• At the very top, you write the date
  
• In the next section, on the left, you write your Apartment details (Building #, Apt #)
  
• Same section, next line, you write the # of units of power that you want to buy. For me, at least, it was 48RMB = 100 Units
  
• Same section, first line on right side ... Write what you want to do... "mai dian" in this case
  
• Bottom line of this section, check first box. (Not sure what it is, but thats what I'm suppossed to do.)
  

Take the form, and the little credit card electricity thing to the counter. Give them money, the card, and the form. Walk away with your receipt and the card. Once home, insert it into the slot on the meter (the card, not the receipt )

And you should be good to go.

That's electricity. I don't know how the phone, gas, or water works. I never use the phone (roommates do ALL the time), and I've asked about the other stuff many times, but noone seems concerned about collecting money from me, or giving me money so that I can pay.... So, I'm not worrying aboout it.

I just got internet installed today, so no bill on that yet. This one thing I am wholly responsible for, so I have asked my bosses, how I'm suppossed to pay for it. As far as I can understand it, I can just go to the Bank (which one?) and say, "I want to pay for my internet/water/gas/phone" and the person at the counter can walk me/you thru it.

I know this isn't the greatest tutorial, but... This is whats I've been able to gather together in the past few weeks. I hope it helps.

Magores

PS.. If anyone knows the details of paying for gas/water/phone/internet in BeiJing, I'd love to understand it, even if no one ever asks me to pay ;)

[roddy]

I've got a feeling we covered this recently, but i can't find it . . .

Electricity: As above, it's usually done with a prepaid card. I do it at the Industrial and Commercial Bank though, and I just chuck the card and cash across, don't bother with the form. The receipt you get printed out has the address and account details on anyway.

Phone: I used to pay at the bank, as above. However, you can now pay by buying a card similar to the ones used to recharge pay as you go mobiles. The one you need is a 网通充值卡, but is often known as a 小灵通充值卡. You dial a number from your phone, put in the number on the card, etc, etc. Internet is also on the phone bill.

Gas and Water: People will come round and read the meter now and then, and usually give you a slip to take to the bank - the ICBC, it's always been for me.

[mi.g.c]

thanks a lot

[magores]

I have a dsl account with CNC, and as I mentioned above, I just got connected.

Food I can do without. Gas is a luxury. Don't need water if I have beer/apple juice/etc. I have a cell pnone, so I don't care about the landline. But, I must figure out how to pay for the dsl so they stay happy with me.

Any ideas on how to pay for this?

magores

[mi.g.c]

magores, can i know how much is a dsl connection there? i've read that an hour's use is around 3 kuai (or close to that) in an internet cafe. that's quite cheap. and i've been wondering, why get a connection of your own? maybe besides having a computer/laptop with you and the accessibility? i'm also planning to have dsl connected, but then im thinking 3 kuai is pretty cheap.

[magores]

I opted for the "unlimited" option. 120RMB per month. But, they were having some sort of promotion, so its 105RMB per month.

There was another option for 100 hours per month at 100RMB. But, this didn't make sense sense the unlimited use was only RMB more.

And, there was another option for 20 hours (or 25?) for 20RMB (or 25?).

Yes, the cafe's are inexpensive, but its just way more convenient to come home after work and use the 'net, than to have to go out again to use it.

M