How to Pay for Utilities in Dubai: Use the DEWA Payment System

Many people dream of living in Dubai. The United Arab Emirates offers an appealing blend of comfort, leisure and a high standard of living. Anyone planning to rent or buy property in Dubai inevitably has to work out how to connect to and pay for utilities services. It is better to obtain all the necessary information in advance in order to avoid unpleasant surprises later. So what is DEWA and what do you need to know about invoices for utilities services in Dubai?

• Activation of Your DEWA Account
• How to Transfer DEWA Services to a New Address
• How to Deactivate Your DEWA Account
• Breakdown of DEWA Invoices

Each month every expatriate pays the Dubai Municipality housing fee - an additional payment for facilities and services. This fee is payable by tenants and property owners and amounts to 5% of the annual rent or 0.5% of the property value. The cost of the utilities services can be paid via the DEWA system.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is a state-owned company and the only provider of utilities services in Dubai. It is responsible for all issues related to water supply, electricity and sewerage.

There are two ways to activate DEWA services in Dubai. You can create an online account or you can visit one of the Customer Happiness Centers where the employees will help you to configure everything correctly.

Activation of Your DEWA Account

Online registration on the DEWA website

• The first step is to create an application at the section Activation of Electricity/Water (Move-in).
• Next, select the desired option in the Customer Type dropdown menu: Expatriate, GCC National, Investor or UAE National.
• Then choose the account type: Owner or Tenant.

In the case of tenants, the Ejari number must be indicated. Every tenancy contract in Dubai is registered in the system of the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) which is called Ejari.

Please note that Dubai Free Zones are exempt from Ejari. Click “I don’t have Ejari’ if you are located in a Free Zone. Tenants moving into premises in Free Zones must provide the following information: the number of the tenancy contract, the start and end date of the contract, the total value of the contract, address, the floor area of the property, the number of bedrooms and other information.

After completing the application form, click “Continue” to create a new DEWA account.

The following documents must be submitted with the application for DEWA services:

• valid title deed (for property owners in Dubai);
• Emirates ID of Dubai residents;
• trade licence (for commercial and industrial customers);
• Passport copy (for GCC Nationals and investors).

To complete the registration process, the customer pays DEWA activation fees for the new account. Activation fees include:

• DEWA security deposit (AED 2,000 for a flat or AED 4,000 for a villa);
• activation payments (AED 100 for connecting electricity and water (small meters); AED 300 for connecting electricity and water meters (large meters); AED 10 for registration; AED 10 for knowledge fee; AED 10 for innovation fee);

The holders of Thukher and Sanad bank cards are eligible for a 50% discount on activation charges.

Utilities will be connected within 15 hours of payment.

How to Transfer DEWA Services to a New Address

If you are moving to another property in Dubai, your DEWA account should also be transferred to your new address. It is easy to do this either online or via one of DEWA's Customer Happiness Centers.

To reconfigure the account online, log on to your DEWA account and enter your new address, new Ejari number, Contract Account Number of the existing premises as well as the move-out date. Electricity and water supply at your previous premises will be deactivated on your move-out date.

The security deposit from your previous premises will be transferred to the new address. If the amount of the security deposit at the new premises is higher than at the previous premises, the difference should be paid (for example, if you move from a flat to a villa).

How to Deactivate Your DEWA Account

It is not hard to deactivate a DEWA account. This can also be done either online or at one of the Customer Happiness Centers.

To cancel utilities services, including  supplies of electricity and water, you need to log on to your DEWA account and go to the page Deactivation of Electricity and Water. Choose the disconnection date, enter your contact telephone number and select the preferred method for the refund of the deposit. Subsequently you will receive acknowledgment via SMS or email with a confirmation number, as well as your final DEWA invoice. You can also obtain a certificate confirming that you have paid all invoices for AED 50, plus VAT.

Dubai Municipality monitors utilities services through the personal account of the DEWA resident. Tenants and property owners receive DEWA invoices every month. The invoice contains information on payments for the current month, including the Dubai municipality housing fee. In this way the Dubai Municipality is able to monitor where people live.

Breakdown of DEWA Invoices

A DEWA invoice includes the Dubai Municipality housing fee, charges for water and electricity, and the  sewerage fee. The Dubai Municipality housing fee in Dubai amounts to 5% of the annual rent of a flat or house. Customers must pay this fee over 12 months.

DEWA calculates monthly electricity and water charges in accordance with the slab tariff and fuel tariffs. Any increase in the consumption of electricity and water leads to an increase in the fee.

In a Nutshell

The DEWA system is convenient for users and most of its functions can be finetuned intuitively. The main thing to remember is to make payments in time and to transfer your DEWA account if you decide to move in order to avoid any issues with the security deposit and invoices for the utilities services.

Cover photo: Corinne Kutz (Unsplash)