Living in Dubai, your DEWA bill is an essential and unavoidable outgoing. If you want to keep your water and electricity costs down, you will need to take steps to reduce your consumption. Follow the advice and steps here to help reduce your DEWA bill.
How Your DEWA Bill Is Calculated
Your DEWA bill is sent to you monthly. It is split into three sections that explain how your bill is calculated. Understanding your bill is well worth it to see where you can reduce your usage.
On the first page is a summary of your overall charges. There will be four costs outlined on this page:
- Charges for last month’s electricity usage
- Charges for last month’s water usage
- Sewerage costs
- A housing fee, which amounts to 5% of your property’s rental value, paid over 12 months.
Water Charges
You will see that you pay a set amount per gallon for the first 10,000 gallons of water you use per month. If you use more than 10,000 gallons of water per month, you will enter a higher pricing bracket and start to pay more per gallon.
There is also a fuel surcharge, calculated on your water usage, that covers the cost of fuel used to produce your water.
Electricity Charges
You pay for electricity per kWh. As with water, lighter users pay less per unit. Once you use more than 2,000 kWh in a month, the price per kWh increases.
There is also a surcharge payable for the cost of generating your electricity.
Sewerage
Sewerage is the charge for removing wastewater through your drains. It is calculated using your total water consumption.
Housing Fee
The housing fee is a set charge unrelated to your consumption of water and electricity. If you believe you are paying more than 5% of your property’s rental value in this fee, you can apply via the Dubai Municipality website for an adjustment; however, you will need to provide supporting evidence.
Reducing Your Bill
As you can now see, your DEWA bill is mostly linked to your water and electricity consumption. You should be able to identify where you can make savings, either on electricity or water, or both. Only the housing fee is out of your control.
Let’s examine how you can decrease your energy and water consumption to reduce your DEWA bill.
How to Save Water in Dubai
Use these four DEWA water-saving tips for big savings.
1. Check for Leaks
The first step is to check for dripping taps and leaky toilets and consult a plumbing service for advice. Even the smallest leak can waste a lot of water over days and weeks.
2. Stay Fresh and Reduce Bills
Every minute your shower or taps are running is costing you money. If you want to save, consider how to make your shower routine shorter and always turn off the tap while you clean your teeth.
Upgrading to newer bathroom fittings can save you money in the long run since modern versions are often more water-efficient. A lower-cost alternative is to install add-on products that reduce your water use, like tap aerators and low-flow showerheads.
3. Water Plants Efficiently
Try to water plants at the coolest times of the day. This means less water will evaporate before your plants can benefit, and you’ll need to water them less often.
4. Lessen the Number of Loads of Laundry and Dishes
Modern dishwashers and washing machines usually have an eco-program that helps you cut down on both water and electricity consumption. These programs often take longer than a regular setting, but will save you a lot of money with repeated use.
Always fill your machine to capacity to get the best value for your money and to help you use the machine less often.
How to Save on Electricity at Home in Dubai
You can lower electricity costs in Dubai by following these six steps.
1. Avoid Appliance Use During Peak Hours
DEWA peak hours are between 12 pm and 6 pm, so you are charged more for electricity use during this time. To reduce your DEWA bill, avoid all unessential appliance use, like dishwasher and laundry loads, and charging devices during this time. Try to avoid running your AC during peak hours, too.
2. Make Sure Your AC Is Operating Efficiently
The DEWA recommended AC temperature is 24°C. Any time you increase the temperature by 1°C, you cut as much as 5% off the cost of running the unit.
Your AC usage will also cost you less if your unit is operating as efficiently as possible. Always keep every door and window closed while it’s running. If you keep curtains and blinds closed during the hottest hours, your home will not heat up as much and your AC will have less work to do.
Schedule an AC service and clean regularly to help your units do their job efficiently. Dust and debris will clog up filters and make your AC units work as much as 15% harder.
3. Cut Down on Standby Use
Having TVs, laptops, and other equipment on standby is handy, but if you want to reduce your DEWA bill, you need to avoid keeping them on as much as possible. Having multiple items on standby over a long time can cost you a lot of money, as much as 5% of your bill, so turn equipment and charges off at the plug as much as possible.
4. Avoid Clothes Dryers
Clothes dryers are heavy users of electricity. Whenever you can, air dry your clothes instead.
5. Minimise Oven Use
If you enjoy cooking at home, you might want to reduce your oven use, as this appliance can use a lot of electricity. Consider switching to lower-energy appliances, like microwaves and pressure cookers, for some tasks.
6. Optimise Your Use of Energy-Efficient Lighting and Appliances
Modern appliances, like fridge freezers, AC units and televisions, have often been designed to minimise energy consumption. You can check the user manual for suggestions on how to further reduce their electricity usage by adjusting settings or using eco programs.
Keep appliances clean and serviced so that they run efficiently. Organising an annual maintenance contract can help you keep on top of essential tasks.
Program any thermostats on machines carefully so that appliances aren’t used unnecessarily. Switch to energy-saving light bulbs for further savings.
Final Tips and Tricks for Saving on Your DEWA Bill
For more home maintenance tips and advice, contact We Will Fix It, your go-to service in Dubai.
We offer the highest-quality home maintenance services at cost-efficient rates. We can help ensure your home is running efficiently at all times to reduce your DEWA bill to a minimum.
Don’t forget to check out our offers on home maintenance packages, too.
