In my first month after moving in, I didn't make a single phone call. Not to the electric company, not to the water company. A friend of mine from a Western country was really surprised to hear that. In his own country, every time he moved he had to call the electric, water, and gas companies separately to change the name on the account. ## It's all on one bill If you live in a Korean apartment or officetel, a piece of paper called the "management fee bill" shows up in your mailbox every month. On that single sheet, electricity, water, gas, internet, and even the cleaning fee are all listed. Instead of each company signing a separate contract, the management office signs one contract on behalf of the whole building, then bills each household based on how much it used. ## Why is it done this way? Korean apartments were built from the start as complexes of hundreds of units. So instead of each household signing a separate contract, it was far more efficient for the management office to contract with the electricity and water companies all at once, then bill residents according to their usage. That structure has continued unchanged to this day. ## Still, be sure to check this In studio apartments or old single-family homes, electricity and water may be billed under separate contracts. In your first week after moving in, visit the management office (if there is one) or ask your landlord, "Is everything included in the maintenance fee?" Watching your mailbox for a few days to see if any unfamiliar bills show up separately will also make it clear.