Household bills in the UAE depend on which emirate you live in. Electricity and water come from DEWA in Dubai, TAQA Distribution in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, SEWA in Sharjah, and Etihad Water and Electricity in Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. On top of the utility charges, tenants usually pay a municipality or housing fee, sometimes a separate district cooling bill, and the cost of internet and mobile. This guide explains who bills you for what, what moving in costs, and where to check and pay each bill.
- Find your emirate’s utility provider in the first table below.
- Moving in? Register your Ejari or lease first, because utility connection depends on it.
- Bill suddenly high? Compare your meter reading with the bill before calling anyone.
Who supplies electricity and water in each emirate
There is no single national utility company. Each provider has its own account numbers, apps, tariffs and rules, so a guide written for Dubai will not always apply in Sharjah or Ajman.
| Emirate | Provider | Customer line |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai | Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) | 04 601 9999 |
| Abu Dhabi and Al Ain | TAQA Distribution, which replaced ADDC and AADC in January 2025 | 800 2332 |
| Sharjah | Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA) | 600 566 665 |
| Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah | Etihad Water and Electricity (Etihad WE), formerly FEWA | 800 3392 |
Two naming changes cause most of the confusion. FEWA became Etihad WE in 2020, and in Abu Dhabi the ADDC and AADC names were merged into TAQA Distribution. Older receipts, apps and guides still use the old names, but bills are now issued under the new ones.
What goes into a typical household bill
Your utility bill is rarely just electricity and water. Several government fees are collected through it, and some homes have extra accounts on top.
| Charge | How it is billed | Who usually pays |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity and water | By consumption, in slabs that get pricier as use rises | The tenant |
| Fuel surcharge | Per kWh and per unit of water, changing month to month | The tenant |
| Housing or municipality fee | In Dubai, 5% of the annual Ejari rent, collected monthly via DEWA | The tenant |
| Sewerage fee | Linked to water use, depending on the emirate | The tenant |
| District cooling | A fixed demand charge plus consumption, from a cooling provider | The tenant, unless the home is chiller-free |
| Internet and mobile | Monthly plan from e& or du | The tenant |
VAT at 5% applies to electricity, water and cooling, but the municipality fees collected alongside them carry no VAT. In Dubai, electricity is charged on four slabs from 23 fils per kWh, and Sharjah uses the same electricity slab rates. Abu Dhabi bills expatriate homes at 26.8 fils per kWh within a daily allowance, and more above it.
The cost of moving into a new home
Utility connection follows a fixed order, and the first step unlocks the rest. Using Dubai as the example, this is what a tenant typically pays up front.
| Step | What it involves | Typical cost in Dubai |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Register the lease | Ejari registration through Dubai REST or a trustee centre | AED 177.75 online or AED 220 at a centre |
| 2. Connect DEWA | Automatic once the Ejari is issued; you pay the deposit and fees | AED 2,000 deposit for a flat or AED 4,000 for a villa, plus AED 155 |
| 3. Open a cooling account | Only if the building uses district cooling and is not chiller-free | Connection and deposit set by the provider |
| 4. Set up internet | Fibre or a 5G home router from e& or du | Monthly plan, sometimes with an installation fee |
The DEWA deposit is refundable when you move out, as long as the final bill is settled. Other emirates follow the same pattern with their own lease registration: Tawtheeq in Abu Dhabi and municipality attestation in Sharjah. When you leave, close every account, not just the electricity. A forgotten cooling or internet account can follow you, and some landlords hold back the security deposit until each final bill has been paid.
Keeping bills under control
Most bill shocks come from a handful of predictable causes. Summer air conditioning pushes usage into the higher slabs, so a bill can double between April and August without anything being wrong. The monthly fuel surcharge moves too. Fixed charges, such as the housing fee and a district cooling demand charge, do not fall when you travel, which surprises people who expect a near-zero bill after a month away. A real fault, such as a leaking pipe or a faulty water heater, usually shows up as consumption that stays high at night or while the home is empty.
The simple habit that catches problems early is reading your own meter on the same day each month and comparing it with the bill. Every provider also offers a consumption view in its app. If the numbers do not match, raise it with the provider before the next bill, while the reading is still fresh. Paying on time matters as well: unpaid bills lead to disconnection, and reconnection fees add to the cost.
Every guide in this section
The Dubai guides come first because DEWA has the most separate charges. The other emirates follow, then the housing, cooling and insurance costs that sit alongside your utility bills.
Dubai: DEWA and municipality fees
- Check and pay a DEWA bill
- DEWA tariff slabs and fuel surcharge
- Why your DEWA bill is high
- DEWA move-in and move-out
- The Dubai housing fee explained
Other emirates
- Abu Dhabi and Al Ain electricity bills
- Check and pay a SEWA bill in Sharjah
- FEWA and Etihad WE bills in the northern emirates
Housing, cooling and insurance
- Ejari check: status, number and fees
- Chiller-free and district cooling charges
- Check your medical insurance status
Phone and internet bills
- e& Quick Pay for bills and recharge
- du Quick Pay and Quick Recharge
- The full UAE telecom guide
Frequently asked questions
Which company supplies electricity in Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah?
Etihad Water and Electricity, known as Etihad WE. It replaced FEWA in 2020 and supplies Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
What is the housing fee on my DEWA bill?
A Dubai Municipality fee collected through DEWA. For tenants it is 5% of the annual rent in the Ejari contract, split into monthly instalments, and it carries no VAT.
How much is the DEWA deposit for a new tenant?
AED 2,000 for a flat or AED 4,000 for a villa, refundable at move-out, plus AED 155 in activation fees for a standard meter.
What does chiller-free mean?
The landlord pays for air conditioning, so you get no separate district cooling bill. In other buildings, tenants pay a cooling provider such as Empower directly.
Last verified: October 2026. Tariffs, fuel surcharges and fees change, so confirm the current figures on each provider’s own site.
Written by Roman Shah · Reviewed by the UAEexplained editorial team
Sources: DEWA, TAQA Distribution, SEWA, Etihad Water and Electricity, Dubai Land Department, Empower
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