Rising Heating Costs Increase Household Burden
"Many Complaints About Unclear Bills"
Families Contemplate "Cutting Kids' Academy Expenses"
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] "Customers call the customer center directly, accusing us of being gas thieves and saying the bills are way too high, even cursing at us."
Amidst the nationwide shock from soaring heating bills, Kim Yoon-sook, who has been working as a city gas inspector for 17 years and is the head of the Seoul City Gas Branch of the Public Transport Workers' Union, shared the atmosphere on the ground.
On the 26th, Kim appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said, "There are continuous customer complaints like 'Is the gas leaking?' and 'Why is the bill incorrect?'" adding, "So we check the meter and explain it to the customers."
Kim explained that public utility rates have increased due to the rise in gas import prices, but the response on site is overwhelmingly that it is hard to understand. Some customers even protest with harsh language.
As a cold wave sweeps across the country, increasing the burden of heating costs, on the afternoon of the 25th, a maintenance fee notice is placed in the mailbox of a 30-pyeong apartment in downtown Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
The shock of this 'heating bill bomb' spared no households, even those who usually practice frugality. Kim said, "In households with elderly people, living frugally has become a habit, so the rooms themselves are cold," adding, "'Please check if the bill is incorrect' is something they say." She continued, "With the cold wave coming and the rates rising, we advise them to 'wear one more layer of clothing,' but it is heartbreaking."
The situation of No Eun-young, who lives in a 30-pyeong apartment in Yeongcheon, Gyeongbuk, was similar. On the same day, No appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "I use individual heating, but the city gas bill alone came out to 470,000 won this month."
She said, "It almost doubled compared to the same period last year," adding, "Last month, I had COVID-19 and my children had the flu, so we ran the heating 24/7, but I didn't expect the bill to be this high."
The rapidly rising heating costs have also increased the financial burden. No said, "My mother is taking care of the children, so I think I need to reduce the allowance I give her and cut back on food expenses and cultural activities," adding, "I also talk with other mothers about reducing the kids' academy classes during winter."
Despite this situation, since Korea Gas Corporation's cumulative losses have reached 9 trillion won, a rate increase in the second quarter (April to June) is highly likely. Yoo Seung-hoon, a professor in the Department of Energy Policy at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, explained, "KOGAS's deficit last year approached about 9 trillion won," adding, "They currently have no financial leeway."
He said, "Since city gas rates were frozen in the first quarter (January to March) this year, KOGAS's deficit is expected to increase by about 5 trillion won during these three months," adding, "If the deficit continues to accumulate like this, KOGAS will not have the money to purchase natural gas from overseas, and if things go wrong, the supply of city gas could be cut off."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
