How do I handle a scheduled gas safety inspection when I am at work all day?
I rent a small apartment in Gwangju and found a notice on my door about a safety inspection visit during weekday hours. I work full time and cannot be home then. How do people usually reschedule these visits, and who should I contact if the notice only has a Korean phone number?
Note: This is an editorial persona question created from common experiences of foreign residents in Korea.
1 Answer
This is a routine inspection the city gas company is legally required to carry out, so it will keep coming back until it happens, and in the worst case an unchecked household can have supply suspended. The good news is that rescheduling is completely normal and the companies expect it, since most of their customers are at work during the day.
The notice on your door will have a phone number, either the inspector's mobile or the customer centre of the gas company serving Gwangju. Call and say you need a different date, and ask specifically about evening or weekend slots. Most city gas companies run visits into the early evening on weekdays and offer Saturday appointments, and some let you book online through their website. Have your address and the customer number from your gas bill ready, because that is the first thing they will ask for.
If the number is Korean only and you are not confident on the phone, there are a few things that work well. The BBB Korea volunteer interpretation line at 1588-5644 is free and gives you a live interpreter you can keep on speakerphone during the call. The 1345 immigration contact centre also handles three-way calls in many languages. Failing that, your landlord or the agent who handled your lease will usually make the call, since it is in their interest that the inspection gets done.
One thing worth settling before you hang up is whether you personally need to be there. The inspector needs access to the meter and the stove connection inside the unit, so someone has to open the door, and if you would rather not take time off you can ask whether your landlord may be present instead. After the visit keep the inspection slip or photograph it, because it occasionally comes up when you move out.