pay for the electricity

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In English, we PAY cash/$400/the taxi driver/the money that.../a bill/debt/fine/ransom, but PAY FOR the tickets etc.

In other words, we need, I thought, to use FOR when we want to introduce the thing that we get after paying the money, but a German friend, whose English is a million times better than mine, today said, PAY THE ELECTRICITY; I use Longman and Macmillan but can't find similar collocations; is it a must to say PAY FOR THE ELECTRICITY?

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[+3] - PUNKEY - 05/27/2013American informal English: We pay the rent, the car payment and the electricity.

@WBYeats,

"Pay the electric bill", seems most common.
"Pay Con Ed for the electric bill".

"Pay the electricity" seems to imply electricity as the recipient.

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@neologist,

Quote:

"Pay the electricity" seems to imply electricity as the recipient.

I feel so.

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@WBYeats,

WBYeats wrote:

collocations; is it a must to say PAY FOR THE ELECTRICITY?

We pay "for" things. Your German friend' made an error when he said "pay the electricity".

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American informal English:

We pay the rent, the car payment and the electricity.

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I suppose no one would misunderstand my saying I paid the car. Surely, I could not be referring to the small change the cursed vehicle extracts from me each time I drive. Where in tarnation does it go, anyway?

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@PUNKEY,

The same phrasing is used in some areas of Canada.

We pay the hydro, we pay the electricity, we pay the phone.

Neither for nor bill is used.

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@ehBeth,

Quote:

The same phrasing is used in some areas of Canada.

We pay the hydro, we pay the electricity, we pay the phone.

Neither for nor bill is used.

Same here, it's a convenient form of shorthand. It's the kind of thing you would say, but not necessarily write.

If I say "I'll pay the gas tomorrow", the meaning is clear, that I will pay the bill of the gas company tomorrow.
(In fact, come to think of it, I would NEVER say "I'll pay for the gas tomorrow."
I'll pay for having that extra slice of cream cake tomorrow. Sorry.)

1 Reply

@McTag,

McTag wrote:

Quote:
The same phrasing is used in some areas of Canada.

We pay the hydro, we pay the electricity, we pay the phone.

Neither for nor bill is used.

Same here, it's a convenient form of shorthand. It's the kind of thing you would say, but not necessarily write.

I always said 'Pay the electric.'

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@izzythepush,

Does it mean now you don't say so?

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@WBYeats,

What I'm saying is that people in my vicinity would say Pay the electric, or Pay the electric bill or Pay the electricity bill, but I've not heard someone say Pay the electricity.

That's not to say it wouldn't be used in the UK, there are very many regional variations and I can't talk for everyone.

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@izzythepush,

Thank you~

But you said 'I always said '

Doesn't it indicate a change that has already taken place?

1 Reply

@WBYeats,

The main change is that now my utilities are paid by direct debit, so paying the bill is more of a passive action. I don't set out to pay an electricity bill in the same way I would pay a credit card bill.

pay for the electricity

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