At a glance
- Electricity slabs
- 23, 28, 32 and 38 fils per kWh across four monthly bands (default rates)
- Fuel surcharge
- 6 fils per kWh as reported. Check DEWA for the current rate
- Housing fee
- 5% of annual rent for tenants, spread over 12 monthly instalments
- VAT
- 5%, applied in this estimate to electricity, fuel surcharge and other charges
How your DEWA bill is made up
| Charge | How it works in this estimate |
|---|---|
| Electricity | Charged in bands. The first 2,000 kWh a month cost the lowest rate, and each higher band costs more. Only the units in a band are charged at that band's rate. |
| Fuel surcharge | A flat charge per kWh added on top of the slab charge. |
| Water and sewerage | Varies with your water use. Copy the amount from your bill into the optional field. |
| Housing fee | Tenants pay 5% of annual rent, split across the year and added to the bill. |
| VAT | 5% on the taxable charges. |
We leave water out of the estimate on purpose. Water is billed on a different basis from electricity and the units have changed, so a guess would mislead more than it helps. Enter the figure from your own bill instead.
DEWA bill calculator
Estimate a monthly electricity bill from your kWh use. This is an estimate, not an official DEWA calculation.
Worked example
Take 1,500 kWh in a month with the default rates. All 1,500 units fall in the first band at 23 fils, which is AED 345. The fuel surcharge at 6 fils per kWh adds AED 90. With 5% VAT on AED 435, the total is AED 456.75 before any water, sewerage or housing fee.
Ways to lower your bill
- Set the air conditioning a little higher. Cooling is usually the biggest part of a Dubai bill.
- Service your air conditioning units regularly.
- Switch to LED lighting and turn off devices you are not using.
- Check your DEWA account for usage trends so a fault or a spike is caught early.
Limits of this estimate
Your real bill depends on meter reading dates, water use, any district cooling charges that are billed separately, and the tariff in force when the bill is issued. Use the estimate to plan, then confirm it with DEWA's own tariff calculator.