Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chaz47]

I've lived in the same building for going on 2 years now and it seems the utilities are expensive. I should also mention that I pay the rent on an inadequate (yet standard = 300,000) housing allowance.

My monthly rent is 450,000 and my utilities are never less than 150,000 for a grand total of 600,000 in an 18 pyeong one room with a loft.

I put 5,000,000 down as a deposit when I moved in and could put another 5,000,000 down to lower the rent to 400,000 but still shelling out that 150,000 a month no matter what I do to keep the lights off, conserve water, etc. is kinda ridiculous, at least IMHO.

What do you think? What is your situation like?

[rhinocharge64]

Maximum 120,000 won and that's for over 20 pyong.

[i_teach_esl]

i live in an officetel. not sure how big it is. my utilities have been 115,000 at the lowest, and 170,000 at the highest.

[harryh]

I live in an officetel too. My total utilities bill for January was 151,000 won.
It's 15 pyeong.

[poet13]

From some of my previous posts, I queried the same numbers. I was in a one-room. electric approx 40-75 a month (If I remember correctly), and gas more, up to 120 a month. That was maybe 14 pyeong or something like that. Maybe only 10.
I have been in my two bedroom apartment now for 5 months. Highest electric about 25000. I buy oil, and paid about 100k a month for dec-jan-feb. Will be much less now that winter is done.

[crazy_arcade]

I'm pretty conscious about conserving energy.
I just got the bill for that last period and it was 140,000. I checked and I had the lowest on my floor. All the other places were in the 200-210 range.
This is for a 15 pyeong officetel.

People keep telling me that officetels tend to be the most expensive energy/heat wise. I'm not too sure why that is.

[Carmy]

My bills this month were horrendously expensive, the biggest culprit being my gas bill. W110 000

Internet is W41 000
Phone bill is W25 000 (yet I hardly make calls from my landline. I mostly use Skype to make calls???)
Electricity W7 000
Cable W8 000

My bills are too high:(

[Carmy]

What is a pyeong? Officetel?

[maddog]

Mine was 166K. I live in a 2-bedroom apt. It's too big to be honest. The worst thing is that the central heating is controlled by the building managment. The heating alone was 76K for January. That's something I won't have to worry about in Summer. I'll just have to worry about sweating my nuts off 24/7.

[crazy_arcade]

1 pyeong = 3.3 square meters of space.

Pyeong is actually supposed to be out of use now and it's supposedly illegal for real estate agents to use it. However, some things don't die easily.

Officetel is a type of building complex. It's zoned so that the rooms inside can be used as residential or business space. Rooms are usually under 20 pyeong and are usually one-room, one-room with a loft, or mini two-room.
Officetels tend to be very newly built and are often (but not always) located in convenient areas (ie. close to a subway station). They are also extremely overpriced IMO considering how small they tend to be.

[crazy_arcade]

Should add that I'm moving into a 20 pyeong 2 bedroom villa soon.
10 million down and 400,000 a month.

I was told that my bills in the summer should be almost next to nothing (limited lights, very little use of air conditioning) and that in the winter my bills should be quite a bit cheaper than what I'm paying in an officetel.

[Juregen]

70 pyong, I pay 300k per moth

[poet13]

70 pyong, I pay 300k per moth

2491 square feet? Sorry, but I'm calling BS unless you live in a town of 600. Pictures please.

[Horangi Munshin]

A 70pyeong apartment is probably only 55 actual pyeong (실평). Still that's big!

[crazy_arcade]

Good point. Actual pyeong size is never the same as what is said on paper.