Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ajstew]

I recently had the meter person come by my place to check the meter. It's the first time since I've moved into my apartment ever... I think... and I've been here for a year. Regardless... I've been receiving bills... at about 50,000. I was assuming this was 'the bill' and that it was accurate and since it wasn't quite 50,000. I didn't know how the number was generated though... but figured they had some method of finding out how much gas was used to bill me.

Now jumping ahead to yesterday... a week after a woman had checked my meter... and my bill is at 200,000 won. I was obviously shocked and thought I must have had a leak or something, because this was quite a change. So I have the secretary at my school check out what happened, and she said that the bill I had been receiving for the past 12 months had been an estimate and that the number had been much higher... so not only was this month going to be 200,000... but the next 5 months (through July) were going to be 200,000 as well.

Obviously this is disappointing news to me and it doesn't seem fair... this make up the difference idea. I mean... I don't think I wasted gas... meaning I don't think I used the heat anymore than necessary... and boiled hot water only to make coffee.

My prolem is this... had I known that my gas bill was higher... and not what I was paying... I would have looked for ways to cut it down. I'm feeling like I shouldn't be responsible for them not checking my meter over the course of a year.

Please give me some advice if you can. Thanks.

[kangnamdragon]

I would get it checked out again. Even when you average 200,000 until July and having paid 50,000 for the past year, the average price would seem too high. I rarely paid more than 50,000 per month for heat in my two room apartment in the dead of winter.

[Gord]

They generally check every month (at least at places I've been at). However, in older apartments the meter was inside and you had to write the usage down on the sticker outside by the door. If you hadn't done that, that would be why they were guessing what your usage was.

[ajstew]

Thanks... my thoughts exactly. It is times like this when I wish I could have dialogue with these people in English... but instead am having to do everything through interpreters (secretary)... who would much rather would have me just pay the bill, and not try to figure out if there is a problem.

[ajstew]

Thanks Gord... again useful information, because that is my situation... and I wasn't really aware of it. Just figured they had a meter someplace else.. so I was surprised to actually have them come knocking on my door.