A comprehensive guide to Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)
Whether you are a new resident arriving in Dubai and setting up your new place or just moving homes in the emirate, the electricity and water connection is usually one of the most important things to take care of on priority. In Dubai, such connections are facilitated by DEWA, the Dubai Electricity And Water Authority.
In this detailed guide to DEWA, we provide you with all the necessary information about the company and its services, a breakdown of the DEWA bill and how you can get your connection set-up (or cancelled).
About Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)
For those new to the emirate, DEWA stands for the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. The company was formed on the first of January,1992 by His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum to merge the electricity and water departments that operated separately before. Today, DEWA Dubai ranks as one of the best utility providers in the world.
As of 2018, it has served over 880,000 customers with a happiness rating of 95%. Moreover, the company achieved the top global ranking in 2018 and 2019 in the World Bank’s Business report.
Let us now take a look at the services offered by DEWA in Dubai.
Services Offered by DEWA
DEWA offers services for both individual consumers and larger corporate entities.
For individual users, DEWA Dubai offers the following services:
- Activation of Electricity/Water (Move In)
- De-Activation of Electricity/Water (Move Out)
- Transfer of Electricity/Water (Move To)
- Bill Payment and Enquiries
In addition to this, DEWA offers services to promote the use of renewable resources including solar energy.
Shams Dubai
This is an initiative by DEWA to promote the use of solar energy in Dubai and to lead the transition towards the use of clean, renewable energy sources. Implementing the Executive Council Registration 46 of 2014, Shams Dubai seeks to make the emirate one of the smartest cities in the world, following the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Under the programme, property owners can connect their Photovoltaic (PV) systems to the DEWA grid, which leads to, among other things, low utility costs. Moreover, the surplus electricity is exported back to the grid.
If you are keen on exploring this opportunity, take a look at our detailed guide on how to use solar panels in your Dubai home.
Getting solar energy installed involves a long process that can be briefly outlined as follows:
- Stage 1: Obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC)
- Stage 2: Procuring Design Approval
- Stage 3: Inspection and Connection
- Stage 4: Generation
You will hire contractors who will apply for NOC directly on the power company’s website using contractor login details. The builder or contractor has to submit the trade license, and there are no service charges for applying.
You will have to pay a one-off connection fee of AED 1,500 when going solar with DEWA. Of course, there are other costs and intricacies involved in the process.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EV Green Charger)
In line with its green initiatives, DEWA Dubai also offers electric vehicle charging services. As of October 2018, it has installed 200 EV Green Charger stations across the emirate to encourage the use of eco-friendly, sustainable modes of transport and to reduce carbon emissions. You can obtain, replace or cancel an EV Green Charger Card directly from the website on the ‘EV Charger Card Services’ page.
Note that non-commercial electric vehicle owners can get free charging services from any EV station till January 31, 2021. Of course, you need to register your vehicle before obtaining the free service as well.
DEWA Customer Service
DEWA’s “Customer Happiness Centres” are conveniently located across the emirate where highly trained employees help customers with their issues and enquiries.
DEWA Academy
The company also has its own Vocational Academy for the training of Emirati students. The academy seeks to nationalise the entry-level DEWA jobs in all its departments. The academy operates in conjunction with the UK’s Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC). After academic and on-field training in areas like production, transmission and energy distribution, graduates will receive their diplomas from BTEC. The ‘Student’ section of DEWA’s website allows you to apply and register for scholarships. One can also apply for an internship at the company.
DEWA for Builders
The water and electricity authority also provides services to builders by issuing NOCs. It is also responsible for providing water and power for construction projects.
Builders can apply for new connections online with their DEWA login credentials on the ‘Getting Electricity Connections’ page in the ‘Builder’ section of the DEWA website. Likewise, NOCs can also be obtained via an online process without any application charges.
How to get a DEWA Connection
Setting up a connection is easy. All you need to do is fill the application form, submit the required documents and pay the security deposit along with DEWA connection fees.
Documents Required
Documents for Move-In services include:
- Title deeds
- Copies of passports of both tenant and landlord
- Tenancy contract
Besides these documents, an authorisation letter may also be required if the applicant is away from the country. To get the application form titled ‘Activation of Electricity and Water service for Residential Expatriate Customers’, you simply need to visit the official website (dewa.gov.ae) and go to the page entitled ‘Forms and Documents’.
Important Terms Explained
There are a couple of important terms that require some clarification.
What is Premise Number in DEWA?
The premise number can be usually found at the entrance gate of the property where you are seeking tenancy.
What is Ejari?
The Ejari is different from the Premise number. Once you have selected an apartment or villa in Dubai, you will have to get the tenancy contract registered online from the land department. This is known as Ejari and registering through this process is simple. You just need details like the terms of the agreement and the name of the rental company. Once you enter these details, the system of Ejari online registration will allocate a unique barcode that remains valid throughout the life of the contract.
Fees Involved
Regardless of the property, you have to pay a DEWA activation fee of AED 110 (for small metres), which is non-refundable. For an apartment, the security deposit is AED 2,000 whereas, for villas, it is AED 4,000. In addition to this, there will also be an additional Knowledge and Innovation fee to be paid.
How Do I Pay DEWA Charges/Bills?
There are many ways you can pay setup charges as well as regular payments:
- DEWA’s website or app
You can make DEWA online payment directly on the website. The company’s multilingual app is also optimised for iOS, Blackberry OS, Windows and Android and offers a user-friendly payment method.
- Your credit card or online banking service
You can also make utility bill payments if you have an account in any of the following banks:
- Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
- Ajman Bank
- Commercial Bank of Dubai
- Dubai Bank
- Emirates Islamic Bank
- First Gulf Bank
- Mashreq Bank
- Standard Chartered Bank
- Sharjah Islamic Bank
- Noor Bank
- National Bank of Fujairah
- RAK Bank
- Union National Bank
- Citi Bank
- Dubai Islamic Bank
- United Arab Bank
- Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
- Barclays Bank
- HSBC Bank – Middle East
- Dubai First
- Arab Bank
- Habib Bank AG Zurich
- National Bank of Abu Dhabi
- Al Hilal Bank
- MPay
You can also make DEWA bill payments along with payments for other government services with your credit card on the MPay website or MPay application.
These are some of the ways in which you can pay your DEWA bill in Dubai.
In addition, you can also make cash payments at DEWA centres, Etisalat payment machines, ZOOM supermarkets or ENOC or EPPCO petrol stations.
Once you submit the documents and application form and pay the deposit and charges, your connection will be activated within 24 hours.
Understanding the DEWA Bill
Your DEWA bill includes charges for water, electricity, sewerage and housing fees. The housing fee is borne by the property owner but 5% applies to tenants.
The company charges standard per-unit rates as follows:
- Electricity – AED 23 fils
- Water – AED 3 fils
- Sewerage – AED 0.5 fils
The electricity charges are for consumption below 2000KWh per month. If you use more than 6000KWh, charges will be AED 38 fils per unit.
When you do a DEWA bill check, you will notice that prices will be higher in summer because of the increased usage of cooling appliances. Likewise, water consumption will be higher in homes with pools and gardens.
For those new to the emirate, these numbers can help estimate the overall cost of living in Dubai.
Procedures for Cancellation
Just like activation, you can cancel your DEWA account online or by visiting your nearest Customer Happiness Centre.
Once you log on the website, you have to visit the ‘Deactivation of Electricity and Water’ page under ‘Quick Services’. Select your contract account, clicking on the checkbox if a clearance certificate is needed.
Next, you need to select the Move-Out date, contact number and the method to receive your deposit. Once you complete these steps and click ‘Submit’, you will receive an email or SMS with your Move-Out notification number, and the company will send your final DEWA bill to your registered Email ID.
Note that in case you need a clearance certificate, you will need to pay charges of AED 50 plus VAT. You will also be entitled to the refund of your security deposit. Just make sure that you have your original receipt handy.
Contacting DEWA
Finally, you can contact DEWA through the following methods:
- Website: dewa.gov.ae
- Emergency Call Centre in case of technical incidents: 991
- Customer Care Centre, Billing Enquiries: +971-4-601-9999
- Fax: +971-4-324-8111
- Email: customercare@dewa.gov.ae
Of course, you can always chat with ‘Rammas’, DEWA’s chatbot on their website. The AI-based bot will answer your DEWA bill enquiry in both English and Arabic.
This wraps up our DEWA guide. We hope you found the information helpful. Getting a DEWA connection is your basic right. Similar to this, there are many other renters rights in Dubai. For more useful content on living in UAE, subscribe to MyBayut.
