1. Types of Bills – English speaking
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Utility bill /juːˈtɪl.ə.ti bɪl/
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Electricity bill /ɪˌlekˈtrɪs.ə.ti bɪl/
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Water bill /ˈwɔː.tər bɪl/
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Gas bill /ɡæs bɪl/
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Internet bill /ˈɪn.tə.net bɪl/
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Phone bill /fəʊn bɪl/
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Cable TV bill /ˈkeɪ.bəl ˌtiːˈviː bɪl/
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Credit card bill /ˈkred.ɪt kɑːd bɪl/
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Medical bill /ˈmed.ɪ.kəl bɪl/
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Tuition fee /tjuˈɪʃ.ən fiː/
2. Ways to Pay Bills
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Bank transfer /bæŋk ˈtræns.fɜːr/
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Cash payment /kæʃ ˈpeɪ.mənt/
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Online payment /ˈɒn.laɪn ˈpeɪ.mənt/
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Direct debit /dɪˈrekt ˈdeb.ɪt/
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Automatic payment (Auto-pay) /ˌɔː.təˈmæt.ɪk ˈpeɪ.mənt/
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Installment payment /ɪnˈstɔːl.mənt ˈpeɪ.mənt/
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One-time payment /wʌn taɪm ˈpeɪ.mənt/
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Check payment /tʃek ˈpeɪ.mənt/
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Mobile banking /ˈməʊ.baɪl ˈbæŋ.kɪŋ/
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E-wallet (Digital wallet) /ˈiː ˈwɒl.ɪt/ (/ˈdɪdʒ.ɪ.təl ˈwɒl.ɪt/)
3. Billing Terms & Issues
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Due date /djuː deɪt/
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Overdue bill /ˌəʊ.vəˈdjuː bɪl/
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Late fee /leɪt fiː/
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Billing error /ˈbɪl.ɪŋ ˈer.ər/
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Overcharged /ˌəʊ.vəˈtʃɑːrdʒd/
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Outstanding balance /aʊtˈstæn.dɪŋ ˈbæl.əns/
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Refund /ˈriː.fʌnd/ (noun) /rɪˈfʌnd/ (verb)
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Disconnection notice /ˌdɪs.kəˈnek.ʃən ˈnəʊ.tɪs/
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Service fee /ˈsɜː.vɪs fiː/
Questions:
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How often do you pay your utility bills?
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What methods do you usually use to pay your bills?
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Have you ever forgotten to pay a bill on time? What happened?
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Do you prefer automatic payments or manual payments? Why?
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What are some common problems people face when paying bills?
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How do you feel about online bill payments compared to traditional methods?
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Have you ever been overcharged on a bill? How did you handle it?
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What should you do if you receive a billing error?
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Do you think utility bills are too expensive? Why or why not?
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What are some ways to reduce your electricity or water bill?
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Have you ever had your services cut off due to unpaid bills?
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What happens if someone doesn’t pay their bills for a long time?
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Do you think late fees on bills are fair? Why or why not?
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In your country, are there any government programs that help people pay their bills?
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If you could eliminate one type of bill forever, which one would it be and why?