How to Pay Utility Bills in Shanghai: Electricity, Water & Gas (2026)

Nobody warns you that one of the quietest little stresses of a new life in Shanghai is a paper slip in your letterbox covered in characters, with a number on it and a date, and no obvious way to pay. The good news: paying your electricity, water and gas here is genuinely easier than in most countries once you know where the buttons are. You do it from your sofa in under a minute, and you almost never see a physical counter. Here is exactly how. How do I pay utility bills in Shanghai? You pay electricity, water and gas through Alipay (支付宝) or WeChat (微信) using the "Utilities" or "Life Payment" (生活缴费) service, entering your account number once so it saves for every future bill. There is no need to visit a bank or an office. The one thing you must get right is the account number for each utility, which is tied to your specific apartment, not to you. Everything else is a few taps. If you have not set up your payment apps yet, start with our guide to Alipay and WeChat Pay for foreigners , because you need one of them linked to a card before any of this works. Where do I find my utility account numbers? Each utility has its own account or customer number (户号), usually printed near the…