Utility bills in Korea: setting up electricity, gas, water and internet in Seoul

How do you set up utility bills in a Korean apartment?

Electricity (KEPCO) and water (Seoul's Arisu service) are normally already connected, so you take over the account and pay by bill or auto-debit. Gas needs a technician's visit from your district's city gas company, booked two to three days ahead. Internet needs a new contract with a provider, usually for three years.

What makes this confusing for newcomers is not the steps but the paperwork in Korean and the fact that every building handles bills differently. Some officetels bundle water into the maintenance fee; some older villas share one water meter; some leases leave the bills in the landlord's name. This guide explains each utility in turn, with the tariffs and procedures as of November 2026.

Which utilities do you have to set up yourself in Seoul?

In most rentals you arrange gas and internet yourself, and you confirm how electricity and water are billed. Ask the agent before signing which bills come to you and which are inside the maintenance fee (관리비, gwallibi).

The Gangdong District Office's English living guide sums up the public side: KEPCO supplies electricity (helpline 123), city gas covers most of Seoul with very few areas on LP gas, and the city's waterworks bills water every two months including sewage. It also reminds newcomers that household voltage in Korea is 220V, so check appliances you bring from abroad.

In apartment complexes with a management office, the office often collects some utilities with the maintenance fee. A Seoul city media article on moving notes that in apartment complexes you tell the management office your moving date so the interim maintenance fee can be settled. In smaller buildings the bills more often come to the unit directly. Our guide to officetels, villas and apartments explains how the building types differ.

How is the electricity bill calculated in Korea?

Korea uses a progressive (누진제, nujinje) residential tariff: the more you use in a month, the higher the price per kWh for the extra units. Residential officetels are billed on the same household tariff.

KEPCO's published tariff table for residential low-voltage customers (주택용 전력 저압), applied since November 9, 2023, is:

Use above 1,000 kWh in summer (July–August) and winter (December–February) is charged a "super user" rate of ₩736.2 per kWh. The same KEPCO page says the residential tariff applies to homes including apartments, to contracts of 3 kW or less, and to officetels actually used as homes.

The bill has four parts: the basic charge, the energy charge, a climate-environment charge and a fuel-cost adjustment charge. MTN reported on September 21, 2026 that KEPCO kept the fuel-cost adjustment for October–December 2026 at +₩5 per kWh, the cap it has applied since the third quarter of 2022, and that household rates were frozen for the quarter.

For example, 250 kWh in November falls into tier 2: a ₩1,600 basic charge plus 200 kWh × ₩120.0 and 50 kWh × ₩214.6, or ₩36,330, and the fuel-cost adjustment adds ₩1,250. The same 250 kWh in August stays in tier 1: ₩910 plus 250 × ₩120.0, or ₩30,910. That is our arithmetic on the tariff above; the climate-environment charge and the other items on the bill come on top. Heavy winter use, such as electric heaters, is where the narrower non-summer tiers start to bite.

How do you get gas connected when you move in?

Call or book online with the city gas company for your address two to three days before the move. A technician visits, connects the stove, checks the installation and puts the account in your name.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government says five companies supply city gas in Seoul — Seoul City Gas, Ko-one Energy Service, Yesco, Daeryun E&S and Kiturami Energy — and that the city sets a single averaged supply cost, so the retail rate does not change by company (city notice, July 2020). Which company serves you depends on the district; it is printed on the previous tenant's gas bill, and the Gangdong guide points to the Korea City Gas Association (citygas.or.kr) to look it up.

• Book the move-in visit (전입, jeonip) two to three days ahead by phone, the company's website, its app or its KakaoTalk channel.
• Be home for the technician. The Seoul city media hub says one visit can cover the stove connection, a safety check and the change of account holder (명의변경, myeongui byeongyeong).
• Keep the hose and fuse cock (휴즈콕) from your old place if you have them. When the city introduced free stove connection for movers in January 2016, it said connection was free if the household had the materials and about ₩10,000 if not; ask the company what it charges now.
• Book a move-out visit (전출, jeonchul) before you leave. A 2021 city article describes the technician disconnecting the line and settling the bill on moving day.

Gas is the bill that changes most with the seasons, because in many homes it also runs the boiler for floor heating (온돌, ondol) and hot water. We have not found an official average gas bill for a small Seoul rental, so we do not quote one; ask the agent or landlord for the last winter's bills.

How does the water bill work in Seoul?

The Arisu bill arrives every two months and covers both water supply and sewage. If your building shares one meter, the landlord may split the bill between units or add it to the maintenance fee.

Sewage charges are rising. The city's 2026 sewage rate table sets a single household rate of ₩480 per m³ in 2026, rising to ₩560 in 2027, ₩630 in 2028, ₩700 in 2029 and ₩770 from 2030. For example, a single person using 6 m³ a month would pay ₩2,880 a month in sewage charges in 2026 at that rate, before the water supply charge.

Arisu also gives a small discount for going paperless. A March 2025 city notice says electronic bills (전자고지) cut the water charge by 1% (minimum ₩200, maximum ₩1,000), and signing up for both electronic billing and auto-payment adds a one-off ₩3,000 reduction. You can apply through the 120 Dasan call centre, the Arisu online customer centre (i121.seoul.go.kr), the "서울아리수본부" KakaoTalk channel, or payment apps including KakaoPay, Toss, Shinhan Card and Hana Pay.

When you move out, the meter reading on the day decides who pays what. Since March 2022, Seoul has let users settle the move-out water bill online (이사정산, isa jeongsan) through the Arisu app or the Arisu Talk chatbot: you enter the customer number from the bill, the moving date and the meter reading, add a photo of the meter, and pay your share. A Seoul city media hub article walks through it.

How do you get internet in a Korean apartment?

Sign a home broadband contract with a provider and book an installation visit. The Ministry of Science and ICT describes the market as built mainly around 3-year contracts, so the cancellation terms matter as much as the monthly price.

The main providers named in the ministry's 2023 announcement are KT, SK Broadband, SK Telecom (reselling) and LG U+. Some rentals already include internet in the rent or maintenance fee, so ask before you sign up for a line of your own.

If you cancel early, you repay part of the discount you received (할인반환금, harin banhwangeum). In July 2023 the ministry said the four providers had agreed to reshape this charge so it starts falling after month 18 and reaches zero at month 36, with the peak amount cut by 8–14% and the later-contract charge about 40% lower on average (Etoday, July 26, 2023). Bundles with mobile or TV can change the charge again, so ask the provider for the cancellation amount in writing.

• Ask whether the flat already has internet, and whose name the line is in.
• If your lease is shorter than three years, ask what cancellation would cost at the month you expect to leave, and whether the line can be moved to your next address.
• Bring your passport and, once you have it, your residence card; providers set their own ID rules.
• Decide whether a bundle with your mobile plan is worth the longer tie-in.

How do you pay utility bills in Korea as a foreigner?

Most bills can be paid by auto-debit (자동이체, jadong iche) from a Korean bank account or through the provider's app. Seoul's water bill can also be set up in payment apps, and Seoul City Gas's app handles bill checks, payment and auto-debit.

A Korean bank account makes this much easier, which is one reason our moving-to-Seoul checklist puts the bank appointment right after the residence card. Until then, the landlord may ask you to transfer the amount of each bill to them, or to pay it with the maintenance fee. Whatever the arrangement, put it in writing.

On move-in day, photograph every meter — electricity, gas and water — with the date visible. Those readings settle the split with the previous tenant, and they are what you will need again at move-out, together with your exact Korean address for any account in your name.

Who pays utilities between tenants, and what if bills are unpaid?

In practice the meter readings on moving day divide the bills between the outgoing and incoming tenant. If the previous occupant left a balance, raise it with the landlord or agent before you pay anything.

This is why the move-in readings and a copy of the last bills matter. Who owes what under your lease is a contract question; if a balance is disputed, a lawyer can advise. The same goes at move-out: settle your final readings before the landlord returns the deposit, so nothing is deducted for bills you have already paid. Our guide to upfront moving costs covers the cash you need in the first month, including the deposit.

Can someone set up utilities for you?

Yes. A Korean-speaking friend, your landlord or the building manager can often make the calls; what you need is someone who can handle the booking calls and the technician's questions in Korean.

Seoul Housing Help is an independent bilingual service in Seoul that books viewings and interprets with Korean realtors and landlords; licensed agents handle the brokerage. Our Complete Relocation package includes utilities and internet setup for electricity, gas, water, internet and the building management office, plus three hours on site on move-in day for meter readings and a condition check. If you are already renting, Landlord & Move-In Help is ₩70,000 an hour with a two-hour minimum. Utility and internet provider fees are paid by you to the providers; our prices are on the pricing page.

Sources (read November 8, 2026): KEPCO Cyber Branch residential low-voltage tariff table (cyber.kepco.co.kr); MTN, September 21, 2026, on the Q4 2026 fuel-cost adjustment; Gangdong District Office English living guide (gangdong.go.kr); Seoul Metropolitan Government notices on city gas retail rates (July 2020), the 2026 sewage rate table, and water e-billing and auto-pay (March 2025) (news.seoul.go.kr); Seoul city media hub articles on free gas connection for movers (March 2016), moving and city gas (May 2021) and online water move-out settlement (March 2022) (mediahub.seoul.go.kr); Etoday, July 26, 2023, reporting the Ministry of Science and ICT announcement on broadband cancellation charges. Water supply rates and average gas bills are not quoted because we could not confirm them from an official page today. — This guide is general information, not legal advice. Seoul Housing Help is not a real-estate agency or law firm; licensed agents handle brokerage and a lawyer can advise on your contract.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the electricity bill in Korea?

It depends on usage. KEPCO's residential low-voltage tariff charges ₩120.0 per kWh for the first 200 kWh a month, ₩214.6 for 201–400 kWh and ₩307.3 above 400 kWh, plus a basic charge of ₩910 to ₩7,300. In July and August the tiers widen to 300 and 450 kWh. Other charges, such as the fuel-cost adjustment, are added on the bill.

Do I need to set up gas when I move into an apartment in Seoul?

Usually yes. The Seoul Metropolitan Government advises contacting the local city gas company two to three days before moving; one technician visit can connect the stove, run a safety check and change the account name. When you leave, book a move-out visit so the gas is disconnected and the bill settled.

How often do you pay the water bill in Seoul?

Seoul's water bill (Arisu) is issued every two months and covers both water and sewage. If the building shares one meter or the bill is included in the maintenance fee, the landlord or management office may collect it instead, so ask before signing.

How long are internet contracts in Korea?

Home broadband in Korea is sold mainly on 3-year contracts, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT. Since providers changed their terms in 2023, the early-termination charge starts falling after month 18 and reaches zero at month 36. Check the exact amount in your contract before signing.

Are utilities included in rent in Korea?

It depends on the lease. Electricity, gas and water are often billed to the unit or collected through the building's maintenance fee (관리비), and internet may or may not be included. Ask the agent to write down which utilities the maintenance fee covers before you sign.