The invention discloses a top-up and refund method for water, electricity and gas meters in public rental housing and belongs to the technical field of water, electricity and gas meters. The method herein based on water, electricity and gas meters, a cellphone and a background server includes a top-up step and a refund step. The refund step includes the steps of t1, initiating a refund operation,by a user, to the background server via a cellphone APP; t2, inputting a refund authentication code into the water, electricity and gas meters through keys of the water, electricity and gas meters, allowing the water, electricity and gas meters to calculate a residual amount after recognizing the refund authentication code, generating a refund confirmation code via a private key, stopping power, water or gas supply to public rental housing, and clearing data in the meters; t3, after the background server verifies the refund confirmation code successfully, returning the residual amount to a payment account bound to the cellphone APP. The cellphone APP is used as a medium herein to allow data interaction between the water, electricity and gas meters and the background server so as to achieved top-up and refund operations, management is greatly simplified, and conveniences are brought to tenants.