Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hagwonnewbie]

Apparently (I have no source other than friends and co-workers now) there is some new law in effect in at least Gyeonggi-do, maybe all of Korea.

It will affect your utility bill this month and perhaps in the future.

The people I know saw their electric bills go from 40,000 won to 200,000 won.

Has anyone else heard about this?

My bils go directly to the organization I work for because they provide my housing. I'm expecting a shocker next week...

[highstreet]

Mine has stayed the same

[nathanrutledge]

New law? Electricity rates are going up nationwide, but that's really about it. Haven't heard of anything else. They are not going up as much as KEPCO wants them to because inflation and other price rises are really hurting people, so the government is keeping the hike low. Electricity is still cheaper than it actually costs to produce it here.

Key points to remember:

there is summer and winter pricing
pricing is tiered. The more you use, the more you pay. Once you hit a certain level, that rate goes up. It's very easy to see a bills that have very similar usage, but very different prices because one of them hit that next tier.

Anyway, as long as you're not wasteful, it shouldn't be an issue.

[mmstyle]

Ah-ha! Thanks Rutledge. I was wondering why my last month bill was so much higher than the previous month. I must have used like 1 kilowatt more, and hit the next tier. I'll tell you what, the pricing differences between the tiers must be nuts (I am not at home, so I don't remember the exact difference in usage, but I do know I checked, and it was quite small).

So, please tell me that winter pricing is lower!

[highstreet]

Winter pricing will be higher, obviously

[eamo]

I've just recently got out of the higher pricing tier.......it was pretty brutal. Around 150,000 per month for many many months. Now we're in the lower tier again and it's down to 70-80,000 pm.

[mmstyle]

[nathanrutledge]

I believe that summer pricing is higher - lots more air conditioner usage puts a huge strain on the grid and we get blackouts like this August.

Same thing with gas, too. Your gas bill will be higher for the winter - not just because you use it more, but the pricing gets bumped up.

If you want to know the tiers, look at your bill. It should be on there, assuming you get an actual bill from KEPCO/Daehan Gas. It will have the kWh range and a price. Gas is measured in cubic meters (or whatever the cubic foot equivalent is for metric). Really, the difference in tiers isn't that huge, BUT since we use gas/electricity 24 hours a day, it adds up. You run your AC full blast and reach that second tier and then stop using it - you're still paying the higher price to have your computer plugged in/alarm clock/etc. Warm showers in winter get really expensive IF you've reached the next tier. And remember - there are multiple tiers. My old neighbor kept his apartment a sauna in the winter, and he paid a lot for it. His bill was usually in the 250-300 range, while mine was in the 50-60 range in the same building during the winter.

[eamo]

Never allow your landlord to change your gas boiler for an electric one. Most electric boilers are useless and expensive.

I knew teachers whose school put them in refurbished housing with electric boilers powering the floor heating. Despite the temperature in their apartments never getting above 16 degrees all winter they still got massive electric bills of over 500,000 per month!!!

In the end after much protest the bills were mostly paid by the school, but still, electric boilers are a disaster.

[mmstyle]

It's the damn showers. I wish I had a bath tub! Cheers, Rutledge.

[weso1]

You guys are complaining over nothing.

This summer was so hot, I ran the A/C 24/7. I love coming home to an icebox-like apartment. For a few months my bill was 275,000.

The A/C hasn't been on for a few weeks, just got the bill yesterday and it was down to 195,000. I'm going to have so much extra cash this month, I don't know what I'll do with it all, lol.

I rarely run the gas in winter, so I'm guessing by Christmas my total gas and electric will be around 50,000.

[kimchijigijig]

[kiknkorea]

I just got mine and it's the same as it's been the last few months.
Although I wouldn't be surprised to see a jump during the winter. With that in mind, I'll just expect the worst and maybe get pleasantly surprised on bill days.

[hagwonnewbie]

Well I heard that all officetel utilities were being treated as business in regards to rates previously.

I guess the power company is cracking down on residents in officetels and forcing them to pay the residential rates now. They are adjusting the bills and trying to get the money for the difference from the last 10 months of this year.

[The Cosmic Hum]

I don't live in an officetel but mine is usually around $200 a month.
This last month it was $350...so I think that kinda sucks.