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  • High Gas Bill in Korea? 5 Things to Check Before Paying

    High Gas Bill in Korea? 5 Things to Check Before Paying

    If your gas bill in Korea is unusually high, first check your usage, meter readings, unpaid balance, and heating settings. If the amount still looks wrong, contact your gas supplier before the payment deadline.

    Opening a gas bill that is much bigger than last month’s can be a shock, especially in your first Korean winter. Korean billing terms are often unfamiliar if you’ve never seen a Korean utility notice before.

    This guide uses official billing information from Seoul City Gas (서울도시가스), one of several gas suppliers serving parts of Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, along with Kiturami’s official winter guidance. Your own supplier depends on your address. Check the company name and contact number printed on your bill before you do anything else.

    If your heating charges appear on your apartment maintenance bill (관리비) instead of a separate gas bill, ask your building management office how those charges are calculated.

    What Is on a Korean Gas Bill?

    Seoul City Gas explains each bill item on its official page. Start with the first three rows, since those are the ones you’ll use most. The last three rows are calculation details that most readers can skip.

    Bill item What it means
    금액 (amount) This month’s charge plus any unpaid amount.
    당월 사용량 (this month’s usage) This month’s meter reading minus last month’s reading, in cubic meters (㎥).
    사용계약번호 (contract number) A 10-digit number given to each customer. It stays the same every month unless you move. Have it ready when you call.
    보정계수 (correction factor) Gas volume changes with temperature and pressure, so a correction factor is applied. A local government sets it once a year.
    평균열량 (average heat content) The monthly weighted average heat content of the gas, in MJ/N㎥.
    사용열량 (heat used) The billed quantity (고지량) multiplied by the average heat content.

    For homes, Seoul City Gas’s rate page shows the calculation as usage × correction factor × average heat content × unit price, plus a basic charge and a replacement fee, plus 10% VAT. The page notes that its calculator gives a rough figure only. Homes that use gas for both cooking and heating are billed at the cooking rate up to 516 MJ.

    • Check the amount (금액) first — it includes any past unpaid balance.
    • Check the usage (당월 사용량) next — it drives most of the charge.
    • Keep your contract number (사용계약번호) ready for any phone call.

    1. Check the Billing Period and Usage Behind a High Gas Bill in Korea

    Compare the billing dates and gas usage (㎥) with your previous bill. A longer billing period can also push the total amount higher, even without a real change in how you heat.

    The usage figure is simply this month’s reading minus last month’s reading. A big jump here means the meter actually counted more gas, or the readings differ from what you expected.

    Write down both readings if the number looks too high. You’ll need them for the call later.

    • Note the start and end dates of the billing period.
    • Compare this month’s usage (㎥) with last month’s.
    • Record both meter readings before contacting anyone.

    2. Check Whether It Was a Real Reading or an Estimate

    A meter reading means someone actually read the number (지침) shown on the gas meter. According to Seoul City Gas, if the meter sits inside your home, you read it yourself on the set day and write it on the self-reading card left at your door. You can also enter the number on the company’s website during the reading period.

    Tell the call center (1588-5788) or your customer center within the reading period if you couldn’t read the meter on the right day. Doing so lets them bill you an accurate amount instead of a guess.

    Sometimes the company can’t calculate your usage at all — for example, if no one was home or the meter is broken. In that case, it estimates from your past usage under its supply rules and settles the difference the next month. This is called 인정고지 (estimated billing). A bill that looks too high or too low this way can still be corrected the following month.

    Separate readings also happen when gas service starts or ends, and when the user of a home changes.

    • Meter inside your home? You read and report it yourself.
    • Missed the reading day? Call 1588-5788 within the reading period.
    • No reading possible? Expect an estimate, corrected next month.

    3. Check Whether Unpaid Amounts Are Included

    Seoul City Gas states that the amount on the bill equals this month’s charge plus any unpaid amount. A total that looks too large may simply include money still owed from earlier. A high gas bill in Korea doesn’t automatically mean a mistake — it could just be an old balance catching up.

    If you pay by transferring to the bill’s payment account, check first whether someone else in your household already paid. Shared households sometimes end up double-checking the same bill.

    A supply suspension notice (공급중지 예고장) can be issued with a suspension date if a bill stays unpaid past its due date. The page states that supply is stopped if the bill remains unpaid after two or more reminders.

    • Confirm whether anyone else already paid this bill.
    • Look for an unpaid balance carried over from a previous month.
    • Don’t ignore a suspension notice — contact the supplier right away.

    4. Check Your Boiler Settings and Heating Habits

    If the usage really is high, look next at how you heat your home. Kiturami’s official winter guidance (January 21, 2026) offers a few points worth comparing against your own settings.

    • A room temperature of 18 to 21°C is recommended in winter.
    • Lower the set temperature when you go out, instead of turning the boiler off completely. Turning it off before a long absence can increase the heating cost when you restart it after coming home.
    • Insulation and draft-proofing reduce heat loss.
    • A boiler used for 10 years or more can lose efficiency, which raises heating costs.

    This guidance comes from Kiturami specifically. Other brands work differently, so check your own model’s manual before changing any settings.

    If you’re unsure how to use your boiler controller, read our Korean Ondol Floor Heating Guide. If your boiler displays an error code, check our Korean Boiler Error Codes Guide. During freezing weather, keep your boiler powered according to the manufacturer’s guidance — see our Frozen Pipes in Korea: No Water or Heat? What to Do guide for cold-weather problems.

    5. Ask the Gas Company About a High Gas Bill in Korea

    Don’t let the due date pass while you wait for an answer. If anything on the bill looks wrong, contact the supplier before the due date and ask what to do about payment.

    Call the company listed on your own bill if the charge still doesn’t make sense. For Seoul City Gas, the main number is 1588-5788. Give your contract number, then ask about the points covered above. A regional customer center can also be found on the company’s website.

    • Have your contract number ready before you call.
    • Ask about the billing period, the reading type, and any unpaid balance.
    • Check the regional customer center if your supplier differs from Seoul City Gas.

    Here are a few Korean phrases you can use on the call:

    English Korean
    This month’s gas bill is higher than usual. Could you check it? 이번 달 가스요금이 평소보다 많이 나왔어요. 확인해 주실 수 있나요?
    Was this bill based on an actual reading or an estimate (인정고지)? 이번 고지서는 실제 검침 기준인가요, 인정고지인가요?
    Does this amount include an unpaid balance? 이번 청구 금액에 미납금이 포함돼 있나요?
    Could you tell me last month’s and this month’s meter readings? 전월 지침과 당월 지침을 알려 주실 수 있나요?
    Could you tell me the meter reading date? 검침일을 알려 주실 수 있나요?
    My contract number is … 사용계약번호는 …입니다.

    If you rent, you can also ask your landlord: 가스요금 고지서를 받았는데 금액이 많아서 확인하고 싶어요. 계량기 위치와 검침 방법을 알려 주실 수 있을까요?

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is a high gas bill always a billing error?
    No. Check usage, whether it was a real reading, and whether unpaid amounts are included before assuming a mistake.

    What if I was not home on the reading day?
    Tell the call center or your customer center within the reading period. If the company cannot calculate your usage, it estimates from past usage and settles the difference the next month.

    Should I turn the boiler off when I go out to save gas?
    Kiturami recommends lowering the set temperature instead of turning the boiler off completely.

    This guide was compiled on November 2, 2026 from the pages listed under Sources and References below. Gas suppliers, rates and reading schedules differ by region, so always check your own bill.

    Sources and References

    Photo by Doris Morgan on Unsplash