Chungnam Small Business Owners and Vulnerable Groups 'City Gas Bill Payment Deferral'

On the 28th, Chungnam Province announced that it will defer payment of city gas bills for local small business owners and socially vulnerable groups as a form of heating cost support.

Under the payment deferral, small business owners will receive a three-month extension to pay for city gas usage from February to April (bills issued from March to May). Additionally, no late fees will be charged on unpaid bills during the extension period.

The program targets approximately 16,600 locations using city gas for general, business heating, and industrial purposes. Among these, about 15,800 locations fall under the general use category, including lodging businesses, bathhouses, restaurants, pubs, cafes, sports facilities and centers, hair and beauty salons, and massage businesses.

The business heating category includes around 700 locations such as offices in companies, resorts, motels, and sauna facilities that use city gas for heating.

For industrial use, about 100 locations including automobile repair shops, painting shops, license plate manufacturers, traditional Korean confectionery (hangwa) and rice cake (tteok) manufacturers, Makgeolli manufacturers, health centers, and soy sauce and doenjang manufacturers will receive city gas payment deferral support.

Small business owners wishing to apply for the city gas payment deferral can do so from April 10 to May 31 through the call centers of the respective city gas companies (JB and MiraeN Seohae Energy).

With the extension of payment deadlines, bills issued in March must be paid by the end of June, bills issued in April by the end of July, and bills issued in May by the end of August.

Unlike other cities and provinces that have conditions such as gas bills under 300,000 KRW in February or payment of previous arrears before February, Chungnam emphasizes that anyone meeting the small business owner criteria can apply without any conditions.

Yoo Jae-ryong, Director of the Industrial Economy Office of the province, said, “We hope that the unconditional city gas bill payment deferral for small business owners during the winter season and selective support for socially vulnerable groups will provide some relief to those struggling with rising heating costs.”