DEWA Move-In in Dubai 2026: Deposit, Fees and How to Activate

DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) supplies water and power, and you activate it yourself when you move into a new home. You need Ejari first, then the connection is fast. The core numbers:

Item	Amount
Security deposit — apartment	AED 2,000 (refundable)
Security deposit — villa	AED 4,000 (refundable)
Activation fee (standard meter)	~AED 100–130 (non-refundable)
Connected within	~15 working hours of payment

The security deposit is held for the length of your tenancy and refunded in full once the final bill is settled and the account is closed; the activation fee is non-refundable. Fees can vary by meter type, so confirm in the app. First, though, you need a registered Ejari.

DEWA move-in for a tenant runs off your tenancy registration. To open the account you give DEWA two things straight from your Ejari:

• Your Ejari number — proof the tenancy is registered.
• The property's DEWA premise number — the unique ID for that unit's meter, shown on the Ejari and any past DEWA bill.

So the order is fixed: register Ejari, then activate DEWA. Trying to connect utilities before the Ejari is active is the most common reason a move-in stalls. If you are setting up a new home from scratch, do them back to back.

• Registered Ejari certificate (Ejari number).
• DEWA premise number for the unit.
• Your Emirates ID.
• Passport copy.
• Payment for the deposit and activation fee.

That is the whole list for a standard residential tenant. Owners and commercial premises have slightly different requirements, which the app walks you through when you select your customer type.

1. Open the DEWA app or website and choose the Activation of Electricity and Water (Move-in) service.
2. Select your customer type and whether you are an owner or a tenant.
3. Enter your DEWA premise number and Ejari details, and add your Emirates ID and passport copy.
4. Pay the security deposit and activation fee.
5. Wait for the connection — supply is typically switched on within about 15 working hours of payment.

Keep the receipt and the account number; you will need them for the deposit refund when you leave, and the account links to other services at the address.

The security deposit is genuinely refundable, but only if you close the account properly when you move out.

• Request a move-out / account closure in the DEWA app before you hand back the keys.
• Settle the final bill. DEWA deducts any outstanding amount from the deposit and refunds the balance.
• Cancel the Ejari in parallel so the property is clear for the next tenant.

Walking away without closing the account is how people lose the deposit or get chased for a final bill later. Treat DEWA closure as part of moving out, alongside the Ejari cancellation.

The biggest surprise on a Dubai DEWA bill is not electricity — it is the housing fee. Dubai Municipality charges 5% of your annual rent, collected in monthly instalments through the DEWA bill:

Annual rent × 5% ÷ 12 = monthly housing fee

• Rent of AED 80,000/year adds about AED 333/month to your DEWA bill.
• Rent of AED 120,000/year adds about AED 500/month.

It applies to all rented homes in Dubai with no area or property-type exemption, and it is tied to your Ejari rent figure. Budget for it — many new residents are caught out when the first bill is far higher than the electricity they used.

DEWA is not your only utility. The one that catches people is district cooling (the "chiller" fee):

• District cooling — in many towers, air-conditioning comes from a central plant run by Empower, Emicool or Tabreed, billed separately from DEWA. Expect a consumption charge for cooling used plus a fixed monthly capacity charge you pay even when the flat is empty, and often a separate refundable deposit to connect.
• Gas — piped-gas buildings bill through a provider such as FEWA/other operators.
• Internet — du or Etisalat (e&), a separate account and install.

So a realistic move-in budget is the DEWA deposit and fee, plus a district-cooling deposit and monthly capacity charge, plus internet setup. Ask the landlord which cooling provider serves the building before you sign, because the chiller bill can rival the electricity bill.

A DEWA bill is more than power and water. The line items typically are:

• Electricity consumption (per kWh, in tiered slabs).
• Water consumption and sewerage.
• The 5% housing fee (above).
• Knowledge and Innovation fees — small fixed dirham charges.
• Meter / service charges.

If your bill looks high, it is usually the housing fee and district cooling — not runaway electricity — doing the damage. Check the itemised breakdown in the DEWA app before assuming a fault.

Ejari, DEWA and a family visa usually land at the same time when you move, and the order matters — Ejari, then DEWA, then the visa that needs both. Get one out of sequence and the others wait.

Wathim can run the whole move-in chain — Ejari registration, DEWA activation and family sponsorship — as one coordinated job so nothing blocks. Contact us, or read the related guides: Ejari registration, UAE family sponsorship, and the driving-cost guides for Salik and parking. Everything else is on the UAE services hub.