Published 8 May 2026 · Updated 8 May 2026

DEWA activation Dubai 2026: how to set up electricity and water in your new home

By David Chen, Market Research Analyst · 8 min read

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is the sole utility provider for electricity and water across Dubai. Every property in the emirate — owned or rented, residential or commercial — needs a DEWA account to receive supply. For new property buyers, DEWA activation is the first practical task after collecting the keys at the trustee office. For tenants moving into a rental, it's done in parallel with Ejari registration. The process is mostly online now, takes about 15 minutes, and supply is typically connected within 24 hours.

This guide covers the DEWA move-in process end to end: documents required, the security deposit, online vs in-branch options, typical bill amounts, and how to transfer DEWA at the end of an ownership or tenancy.

What DEWA does and what you're paying for

DEWA is a state-owned utility holding monopoly on electricity and water supply across Dubai. Your DEWA account covers:

• Electricity — supplied to every connected property, billed in tiered rates based on monthly consumption
• Water — desalinated supply to every connected property, billed in tiered rates
• Sewage charges — fixed and consumption-based
• Fuel surcharge — a variable adjustment reflecting fuel cost movements
• Municipality housing fee — Dubai Municipality collects this via DEWA, set at 5% of annual rent (for tenants) or 0.5% of annual rental value (for owners). It appears as a line on your DEWA bill.

Cooling (district AC, where applicable in newer master-planned communities) is typically a separate utility — Empower, Tabreed or others — billed independently of DEWA. Always check the property's cooling arrangement before move-in.

The online activation process

The DEWA app (free, iOS and Android) and the DEWA website (dewa.gov.ae) handle 95%+ of move-in activations. The process:

1. Open the DEWA app or visit dewa.gov.ae and select "Move In" or "Activate Account"
2. Enter the property details — Makani number (the 10-digit address code for every Dubai property), unit number, building/villa name
3. Enter your details — Emirates ID number, name as on EID, mobile number, email
4. Upload proof of occupancy — title deed for owners, or Ejari certificate for tenants
5. Pay the security deposit and connection fee — by debit/credit card or bank transfer, typically AED 2,000 (apartment) or AED 4,000 (villa) plus a small connection fee of around AED 130
6. Receive confirmation — an account number is generated and emailed/SMS'd
7. Wait for connection — typically same-day or next-day for residential properties already energised

The Makani number is the most-asked question on activation — it's the 10-digit code that uniquely identifies every Dubai property. You'll find it on the title deed, on the Ejari certificate, and on the property itself (signage outside the building). For more, see our Makani number Dubai guide.

The security deposit explained

DEWA holds a refundable security deposit for the duration of every connection. The standard amounts:

The deposit is held by DEWA for the life of the account and refunded when the customer disconnects, after deduction of any unpaid bills. Some customers can post a bank guarantee in lieu of cash, but the cash deposit is the standard route for residential.

Worth knowing: if you're moving from one Dubai property to another, you can transfer your existing DEWA account to the new property rather than disconnect-and-reconnect. This saves a fresh deposit but does require the property at the previous address to be vacant or transferred to a new occupier.

What documents you need

For property owners

• Emirates ID (number entered, no upload typically required)
• Title deed (or e-title deed reference from Dubai REST app)
• Makani number for the property
• Mobile number registered in UAE
• Email address
• Payment method for deposit (card or bank transfer)

For tenants

• Emirates ID
• Ejari certificate (with Ejari registration number)
• Tenancy contract
• Makani number
• Mobile and email
• Payment method for deposit

For more on the rental contract registration that landlords and tenants must complete, see our Ejari UAE guide.

Connection times

Practical timing tip: for buyers, submit the DEWA application the day after completion at the trustee office. For tenants, submit 2-3 days before your move-in date. This avoids the unpleasant scenario of arriving with the moving truck only to discover no electricity.

How DEWA bills work

DEWA bills are issued monthly. The structure includes:

• Electricity consumption — billed in tiered rates. Lower usage tiers are cheaper per kWh; heavier consumption tiers are more expensive. The tier system encourages conservation.
• Water consumption — same tiered structure. Imperial gallons are the unit.
• Sewage — combination of fixed and consumption-based
• Fuel surcharge — adjustment reflecting current fuel costs (variable monthly)
• Municipality housing fee — 5% of annual rent for tenants, 0.5% of annual rental value for owners. Collected monthly via DEWA on Dubai Municipality's behalf.
• Connection fee — small monthly fixed charge
• VAT — 5% applied to applicable line items

Typical monthly DEWA amounts

Add the Municipality housing fee for the full housing-related monthly cost. For a property with annual rent of AED 100,000, the monthly housing fee is approximately AED 417 (5% / 12 months) on top of the DEWA bill.

Payment methods

• DEWA app or website (debit/credit card)
• Direct debit auto-pay (set up once, runs monthly)
• Bank transfer to DEWA's published account
• UAE banking apps with bill payment integration
• In branch at DEWA Customer Care Centres
• At Etisalat or du payment points

Direct debit is the easiest option for a property you're committed to long-term — it removes the risk of forgetting a bill and accumulating late charges or supply suspension.

Transferring DEWA at sale or end of tenancy

When you sell your property or end your tenancy, you must close (or transfer) your DEWA account.

Closing your DEWA account (move-out)

1. Apply for "Move Out" via the DEWA app or website
2. Specify the date of disconnection
3. DEWA takes a final reading on the date specified
4. Final bill is issued covering consumption to the disconnection date
5. Security deposit refunded (after deduction of final bill) to your bank account, typically within 7-14 days
6. Account closed

Coordinating at sale

For a property sale, the seller closes their DEWA account on the day of completion (or the day after), and the buyer activates their new DEWA account from the same day. This usually means a brief gap in service of a few hours or overnight — manageable for the buyer who plans for it. Some sellers and buyers coordinate to keep the seller's account active for an additional day to bridge the gap; this is a private arrangement and DEWA records the formal transfer based on the dates each party submits.

Common DEWA issues

• Account in landlord's name. Some tenants discover the DEWA account is still in the landlord's name (usually because the previous tenant didn't disconnect properly). The new tenant should request a fresh account in their own name — paying their own security deposit — rather than continuing on the landlord's account.
• Outstanding bills from previous occupant. If the previous occupant left unpaid bills, DEWA may not connect a new account until the previous account is settled. Sellers should confirm DEWA closure receipt before final handover. New tenants should ask the landlord to confirm DEWA is clean before signing.
• Security deposit refund delays. Refunds are usually within 7-14 days but occasionally slower. Always update DEWA with your forwarding bank account details when applying for disconnection.
• Supply suspension for non-payment. DEWA suspends supply for unpaid bills typically 30-60 days overdue. Restoration is usually within 24 hours of payment but charges a reconnection fee. Direct debit avoids this entirely.

The bottom line

DEWA activation is one of the simplest tasks in the move-in sequence — a 15-minute online application typically connecting electricity and water within 24 hours. Have your Emirates ID, title deed (or Ejari), Makani number and security deposit ready, and you'll have full supply by the next working day. The bigger work happens upstream: securing the property, arranging the mortgage, and getting through completion. By the time you're activating DEWA you're already on the easy side of the move.

For the broader move-in checklist — Ejari, mortgage completion, Makani — see our related guides on Ejari UAE, Makani numbers, and title deeds. To check what you can borrow before you start property hunting, run scenarios on the mortgage calculator or check the eligibility tool.