Water & Gas Bills in China
Translate bills, understand notices, and pay utilities via mobile
Quick Summary
💧 Water (水费)
- • Usually municipal water company
- • SMS notifications common
- • Billed: Monthly or bi-monthly
- • Payment: Alipay/WeChat/bank
🔥 Gas (燃气费/煤气费)
- • Usually city gas company (e.g., Shanghai Gas)
- • SMS or meter reader visits
- • Billed: Monthly or quarterly
- • Payment: Same methods
Key Vocabulary
Water Terms
| 水费 | Water fee/bill |
| 欠费 | Overdue ⚠️ |
| 停水 | Water cutoff ⚠️ |
| 水表 | Water meter |
| 吨 | Ton (unit: cubic meter) |
Gas Terms
| 燃气费 | Gas fee (natural gas) |
| 煤气费 | Gas fee (older term) | 停气 | Gas cutoff ⚠️ |
| 燃气表 | Gas meter |
| 立方米 | Cubic meter (unit) |
Customer Service by City (Gas)
Shanghai 上海
962777
Shanghai Gas 上海燃气
Beijing 北京
96777
Beijing Gas 北京燃气
Guangzhou 广州
96833
Guangzhou Gas
Shenzhen 深圳
25199999
Shenzhen Gas
Hangzhou 杭州
967266
Hangzhou Gas
Chengdu 成都
962777
Chengdu Gas
⚠️ Important Verification Note
These numbers were verified from official sources as of April 2025. However, numbers can change. Always verify on your physical gas bill or the official city gas company website before calling.
Source: Shanghai Gas official website (shgas.com.cn), Beijing Gas (bjgas.com), etc.
Understanding SMS Notifications
💧 Water Bill SMS Example
【自来水公司】尊敬的1234567890用户
本期水费：45.60元
用水量：12吨
缴费截止：2025-04-20
请按时缴费，避免停水。客服：12345678
✅ English Translation:
- Company: Water Supply Company
- Account: 1234567890
- Amount: ¥45.60
- Usage: 12 tons (cubic meters)
- Due Date: April 20, 2025
- Warning: Pay on time to avoid water cutoff
- Service: Call 12345678
🔥 Gas Bill SMS Example (Shanghai)
【上海燃气】尊敬的用户
户号：9876543210
本期燃气费：128.50元
用气量：32立方米
缴费期限：2025-04-15
可通过支付宝、微信缴费。客服：962777
✅ English Translation:
- Company: Shanghai Gas
- Account: 9876543210
- Amount: ¥128.50
- Usage: 32 cubic meters
- Due Date: April 15, 2025
- Payment: Alipay or WeChat Pay
- Service: 962777
How to Pay
Method 1: Alipay
For Water:
- Open Alipay → "Utilities" (生活缴费)
- Select "Water" (水费)
- Choose your city
- Enter account number from bill/SMS
- Verify amount and pay
For Gas:
- Open Alipay → "Utilities" (生活缴费)
- Select "Gas" (燃气费)
- Choose your city and gas company
- Enter account number
- Verify and pay
Method 2: WeChat Pay
For Water:
- WeChat → Me → Services → Utilities
- Select "Water" (水费)
- Choose city and water company
- Enter account number
- Pay
For Gas:
- WeChat → Me → Services → Utilities
- Select "Gas" (燃气费)
- Choose city and provider
- Enter account and pay
🚨 Emergency: Service Cut Off
💧 Water Cutoff
- Pay immediately via Alipay/WeChat
- Find your city's water company number (on bill or ask building management)
- Call and say: "停水了，已经缴费，请恢复供水" (Water cut, paid, please restore)
- Provide account number
- Usually restored within hours
🔥 Gas Cutoff
- Pay immediately via app
- Call city gas hotline (see city numbers above)
- Say: "停气了，已缴费，请恢复供气" (Gas cut, paid, please restore)
- Provide account number
- May need: Technician visit to restart (safety check)
🔧 After Gas is Restored
Gas appliances may need manual restart. Check your stove/water heater - there may be a button to press or switch to toggle to restore gas flow to the appliance.
Building Management Payment
In many apartment buildings (especially expat-friendly ones), water and gas bills may be handled through the building management (物业).
Check with: Your landlord or building front desk. They may collect utility payments directly or include them in monthly management fees.
Related Guides
⚠️ Disclaimer
Customer service numbers and procedures vary by city and may change over time. Always verify hotline numbers on your official utility bill or the official city utility website before calling. This guide is for reference only.
Last updated: April 9, 2025 | Next review: Check official websites quarterly
Shanghai Gas number 962777 verified from shgas.com.cn (April 2025). Other city numbers verified from respective official sources.