Household　heat　metering　is　significant　in　building　energy　conservation,　but　current　cost　policy　(basic　and　variable　costs)　in　northern　China　is　not　easy　to　implement　for　two　reasons:　a　corner　user　has　greater　heating　consumption　than　a　center　user,　and　the　marginal　heating　cost　of　high-temperature　users　increases　sharply　with　adjacent　room　heat　transfer.　To　solve　these　problems,　this　study　proposes　a　fair　heating　cost　policy　using　a　residential　building　in　Tianjin,　China　as　the　research　object.　The　EnergyPlus　model　is　validated　with　measured　results　and　used　to　generate　the　heating　reallocation　for　corner　and　center　users.　Additional　cost　based　on　game　theory　is　introduced　to　eliminate　the　adjacent　room　heat　transfer　problem.　The　new　three-part　heating　cost　method　including　basic,　variable,　and　additional　heating　costs　produces　a　fair　cost　condition　for　all　users.　A　corner　user　with　normal　heat　can　realize　savings　of　up　to　307.8　RMB　(4.3　RMB/m2)　with　reallocation　of　public　heating　consumption;　the　heating　cost　for　low-temperature　＇steal　heat＇　users　may　increase　by　281.9　RMB　(3.9　RMB/m2)　in　one　heating　season.　This　feasible　method　provides　a　specific　calculation　process　that　increases　the　fairness　of　heating　cost,　which　is　vital　to　future　promotion　of　household　heat　metering.　©　2022　Elsevier　B.V.