you bill sounds way to high.

I'd like to ask a couple of questions.

how many people are in the place you are living?

is there a 'stay at home' person who may be leaving things on all the time?

Do you pay your landlord for the utilities all together?

if so, you are probably being ripped off.

can you get a break-down of the electricity/gas/water as it sounds suspicions having a similar bill to pay every month - normally there would be monthly differences, even in Guangzhou.

my experience has been of meters that require a top-up so i can see the usage of each utility.

you could be paying a 'foreigner tax', which sucks.

You definitely shouldn't be paying more than 500/month total for utilities!! I live in Hangzhou, which is more expensive than Guangzhou, and my power bill at the height of A/C use was about 300, water is max 50/mo. 

That does not sound right. Do you use the A/C a lot? Is someone stealing your electricity?

Check that no one has spliced your electricity feed and is thus getting a free ride. Also check the zoning of your building. I once lived in an apartment where they had a minimum fee plus usage. Our neighbor was usually away on business yet still had a 700 RMB monthly utility bill.

I would advise you to get the help of a work colleague, student, or friend to contact the local electricity supply company (a Chinese person can easily get the number) and find out how much the price per KWh then check your meter. There is no way that anyone living in a standard apartment in China with normal usage rates could run up such a bill. Water is extremely cheap in China too.

Ask for a receipt ! it is way too high!!

My girlfriend lives with me, but she at work during the day, so the house remains empty all day long. at night i use 2 ACs, living room for around 4-5 hours and bed room for around 12hrs/day.

The water + gas is nothing compared to electricity, as the electricity alone is around 1300-1500/ month. Its true I use a lot of air conditioning, but still its outrageous.

I live in a managed building, thus no one can steal electricity. and I am handed government issued bills for all my payments.

They're screwing you big time, either your landlord or your building management.

I live in a 3 floor villa, and with 3 aircon running all day long I max 600 rmb during the hottest month.

Water, which most of it is used for watering the garden, 70-80 rmb/month.

Gas, I have my own gas bottles refilled, for water heating and cooking (and we cook A LOT, being one of my hobbies): 150 rmb/month.

We're a family of 3, do the math.

During the winter, i dont use any ACs and the bill was around 800/month (including water+gas) and i also cook on daily basis cuz i dont like Chinese food. 800 is ok i guess but I cannot seem to understand why it doubled just cuz of ACs....FIrst thought yeah im gettin ripped off big time. but they give me the separate bills so i cannot argue or object. Oh yeah and btw my water heater is ON 24/7 since the 800 rmb days.

Those above have pretty much said it all for the utilities.  But also, how does your phone cost 400?  That seems very high.  I pay 58 kwai a month for 4G. Even using it all day every day I don't think I'd get to 400.

Sounds like you are paying for the whole building or rather, the whole complex.

I paid 50 rmb for half a year's electricity bills for your reference. 

I live in the center of shanghai.

The phone thing is OK. i took a plan with China unicom. After seeing what u guys r payin I should prolly do something about it as Im clearly being ripped off or given forged recipts. Thx for the help.

Seriously man, I pay my bills every 3 months, altogether utilities are about 600. In Shanghai. Something's not right here.

I lived in a loft apt and my monthly bill over the winter was about 1000.  I knew it was too high and they just blamed me, saying "you are using too much electricity."  Then I thought that yeah, with the high ceilings...when I hang out downstairs all I get is cold air while all the hot air from the AC goes up to the loft area.  "My fault".....or it 's a rip-off.  Either way I was outta that place as soon as the lease ended.  Crazy.

How are you spending 150 a day on food? And do you have heated floors turned on all the time or something?

150/day on food is bcuz i dont eat chinese food. a mid size pizza or burger for lunch is around 70 rmb and I cook for dinner, No breakfast. so its around 150 give or take.

Ask for an official receipt (fapiao) and go to your local China Power Grid office to investigate with the name and ID card number and customer number of your landlord. They will give you the real numbers.

You are not going out.

That's the real problem.

You should go out more and don't forget to switch off all lights.

This way, you can save on electricity bill and have fun too.

P.S.   Don't use Ayi.  Money saved is money earned.

You can ask your neighbors about their consumption habits such as how long they use their air con and how much do they pay. After adjusting their figures to your consumption level and comparing the results you should have a good idea if you are being ripped off. There is always the possibility that all of you are being ripped by unscrupulous management if all of you have alarming bills, in which case you can spot that by comparing your bills to those of similar size apartments in other areas.

I cook at home most days, and only spend about 150 rmb per week, cooking only western food.  What kind of premium crap are you buying to cook with?

Learn to shop smarter, and cut down on the booze.  This will save you just over 4000 rmb per month.  Cut out the Ayi and you are saving HALF of your monthly salary.

I suspect your biggest problem is yoiu don't open the windows! Everyone in China knows you need to keep the windows open... at all times of the year (and in all parts of China..>).

Ok - seriously - why not just find the meter, and start noting down the numbers every day or so!

The official fapiao from the State Grid will also have the meter numbers, plus the KwH rates.. and the address, and the individual meter number, etc etc etc .

You can also tell management that you'll be paying the electricity DIRECT to State Grid, and not just handing the money to the closest person with a piece of paper in their hand...

Wow that's one hell of a expensive phone bill...!!! I've never paid more than 100rmb per month, usually 50-60rmb does it but I'm a big data hog.

That is an insane budget. I don't spend 4,000 a month and I live like a king. I almost always pick up the bill when I'm at a restaurant and I only drink top shelf liquor.

Troll, they probably charge you extra for being an annoying troll.

I can only assume your girlfriend is not Chinese. If she was she would be arguing with the landlord over every single tenth of an RMB

Anyway, about your GF.... does she not contribute to housing costs?  I can't say I would be happy paying for everything as you seem to be. Maybe that is an avenue to explore.

I agree with everyone above, you don't need an Ayi.

Booze and smokes at 60 a day. Easy savings to be made there. Cheap beer and ciggies everywhere, even downtown GZ. Pack of ciggies should be no more than 6 or 7 RMB.  If you are smoking western cigs such as Marlboro light ( about 15/pack), switch to Zhong nan Hai (spelling). Less than half the price but taste the same. Same with beer. Chinese beer less than half the price of imported.

Mobile is easy to cut down on. Switch off your data and use wifi. Many corner shops have wifi now, so you can set yourself up on a stool outside with a bottle of beer and surf away, thus combing your desire for the web with your desire for beer.

Of course, if you really want to save money, move out to the sticks where there is nothing to spend it on .  It's too easy to spend money in a tier one city such as GZ.