- Electricity tier 1 (first 240 kWh / month): ¥0.4883 / kWh.
- 1 Gbps home broadband: about ¥199 / month.
- Central heating is mandatory and fixed: Nov 15 – Mar 15.
- Foreigners can now bind an international Visa or Mastercard directly to Alipay and WeChat for bill payment.
First three things to do after moving in
- Complete passport real-name verification. Do this inside Alipay or WeChat before anything else — without it you cannot pay larger household bills at all.
- Hunt down the energy cards. Some older Beijing apartments still run gas or electricity on a physical IC card. Ask the landlord for every card on day one.
- Check what kind of meter you have. If the meter has a digital display and no card slot, it is a smart meter: just key your customer number into Alipay. If it takes a physical card, you will need NFC top-up on your phone — or to physically insert the card into the meter.
Electricity rates (2026)
Residential power is supplied by the State Grid Beijing branch. The rates below apply at standard voltage, under 1 kV.
| Tier | Monthly usage | Price per kWh |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 0 – 240 kWh | ¥0.4883 |
| Tier 2 | 241 – 400 kWh | ¥0.5383 |
| Tier 3 | Above 400 kWh | ¥0.7883 |
Water rates
Supplied by the Beijing Waterworks Group. The base tariff already includes wastewater treatment and water-resource fees; a typical household spends ¥30 – ¥60 a month.
| Tier | Annual usage | Price per m³ |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 0 – 180 m³ | ¥5.00 |
| Tier 2 | 181 – 260 m³ | ¥7.00 |
| Tier 3 | Above 260 m³ | ¥9.00 |
Gas rates
Supplied by the Beijing Gas Group for cooking and hot water. If your apartment uses a wall-hung boiler for its own heating, expect gas bills to swing sharply with early cold snaps.
| Tier | Annual usage | Price per m³ |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 0 – 350 m³ | ¥2.61 |
| Tier 2 | 351 – 500 m³ | ¥2.83 |
| Tier 3 | Above 500 m³ | ¥4.23 |
Central heating — the big winter line item
Heating dates are set by the city, not by your landlord: November 15 to March 15 (a trial run typically starts a week or so earlier, from around Nov 6). The fee is calculated on the apartment's total floor area.
| Heating type | Rate per season |
|---|---|
| Municipal heat network | ¥24.00 / m² |
| Gas or electric boiler | ¥30.00 / m² |
An 80 m² apartment on the municipal network therefore runs roughly ¥1,920 per season — about ¥160 a month when spread across the year.
Internet and broadband
300–500 Mbps is now the standard entry tier at ¥128–¥188 / month, and gigabit is widely available.
| Provider | Plan | Typical monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| China Unicom | 500 Mbps (often bundled with a mobile plan) | ≈ ¥156 |
| China Mobile | 1,000 Mbps home plan | ≈ ¥199 |
Typical monthly utility budget
Heating is shown at the municipal rate (¥24 / m²) spread across 12 months.
| Item | Single (50 m²) | Couple / family (80 m²) |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | ¥120 – ¥200 | ¥200 – ¥300 |
| Water | ¥30 – ¥60 | ¥50 – ¥80 |
| Gas | ¥30 – ¥80 | ¥50 – ¥100 |
| Central heating (amortised) | ≈ ¥100 | ≈ ¥160 |
| Internet | ¥156 | ¥199 |
| Estimated total | ¥436 – ¥596 | ¥659 – ¥839 |
How to actually pay
- Use 生活缴费 ("life payment"). Both Alipay and WeChat have a bill-payment hub that covers electricity, water and gas in a few taps.
- Bind an international card. Since the 2025 update, foreigners can link an international Visa or Mastercard to Alipay and WeChat and pay utilities with it. Expect roughly a 2–3% transaction fee on utility payments.
- NFC top-up. After recharging in the "Beijing Gas" or "网上国网" app, hold the IC card against the back of your phone to write the credit onto the card.
Mandatory waste sorting
Since the end of 2025, four-category waste sorting is enforced in 100% of Beijing residential compounds. Fines run around ¥200. You must separate household waste into:
- Kitchen / food waste (厨余垃圾)
- Recyclables (可回收物)
- Hazardous waste (有害垃圾)
- Other waste (其他垃圾)
Beijing vs. Shanghai — utility costs
| Metric | Beijing (2026) | Shanghai (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Water (tier 1) | ¥5.00 / m³ | ¥3.45 – ¥5.20 / m³ (varies by district) |
| Electricity (tier 1) | ¥0.4883 / kWh | ¥0.617 peak / ¥0.307 off-peak |
| Internet (1 Gbps) | ≈ ¥199 / month | ≈ ¥160 – ¥220 / month |
| Central heating | Standardised, citywide | Rare; individuals rely on AC (high power bills) |
Common mistakes
- The "magnetic card" trap. Many older gas meters need a physical card. Newcomers pay in the app, assume they are done, and never insert the card into the meter to sync the balance — then the gas cuts out.
- Missing the heating deadline. Central heating fees must be paid in full before December 31. Late payment accrues a penalty, in some districts 0.2% per day.
- Foreign-card fees. Convenient, but budget 2–3% on top of every utility payment made with an international card.
- Losing the gas IC card. It cannot be replaced online — you must take your paper lease contract in person to a Beijing Gas service centre.
FAQ
Can I pay Beijing bills without a Chinese bank account? Yes. Bind an international Visa or Mastercard to Alipay or WeChat and pay from there, allowing for the ~2–3% fee.
What if I lose the gas card? Take your printed rental contract to a Beijing Gas service centre in person and get a replacement — there is no online route.
When does heating actually start? The official season is Nov 15 – Mar 15, with trial heating usually beginning in early November.
Essential contacts
- State Grid (electricity): 95598 — 24/7, English service available on request
- State Grid app: 网上国网
- Beijing Gas Group: 96777 — repairs and billing
- Beijing Gas app: 北京燃气
- Beijing Waterworks Group: 96116
- China Unicom (internet): 10010 — press 9 for English
- China Mobile (internet): 10086