Soaring DEWA bills

[roryjones]

Anyone else live in Dubai seeing soaring Dewa bills?

People I've spoke to are moving because of it and want to know if other people feel the same.

[Silky]

Got my worst one ever in 10 years last month! 6k and that's without a garden!!

Nightmare stuff really! Anyone know if we can get some genies from OZ to put in line so as to screw them back?
:{
I believe you can get a small back pack like gen that are used in the outback...any info then pls share!!
:D

[nakbin330]

There has been a 'fixed escalation' of 15% since the Q1 2011, but the 'variable surcharge' has increased from 13% in Q1, to 18% in Q2 and to 21% in Q3.

So, my understanding is that DEWA have increased their charges by 28% for Q1, 33% for Q2 and 36% for Q4.

Roll on Q4 and beyond ...

[Oakape]

Rents are down & they have to get their money back off you somehow.

It will be interesting to see if EK start deducting from those in company accommodation.

[ManaAdaSystem]

Got my worst one ever in 10 years last month! 6k and that's without a garden!!

6000 Dirhams for one month????

[nakbin330]

Easy, mine was over 4000 .... and as there are only two of us here, spare rooms are turned up or off. No maid either!

[Plazbot]

These 4 and 6 k/month bills, are they joints with own aircon or are you paying Empower/Palm Cooling as well? My DEWA was 900 chips last month but I pay about 1100 in Empower as well. 2 kids and a maid, 4+1 apartment. I don't pay housing fee on my bill however. Do you run the A/C 24/7 with the doors open or something?

[nakbin330]

Emicool: 2187, DEWA: 1465 ... thought it was higher, hence the 4000 total.

The Emicool bill increased by 1000 compared to last month, and we were away for three weeks.

The external and internal doors are closed, but are obviously used as and when.

Two spare bedroom a/cs are never on, nor the lounge and dining room, unless we have friends over.

No maid.

No housing fee included, but that's 1450 a month.

We are just getting hit with surcharges/taxes/whatever you want to call it, and there's not much we can do about it ... apart from the obvious, but I enjoy it here, funnily enough.

[Silky]

1100 housing fee, elec 4700, water sewerage brought it up to 6400.

Just moved house to a smaller house. Last house had pool etc and was never even half. Different areas different charges! 5 bed villa with a few kids, no garden as nothing there yet!

I Want to install a mini gen as they have in oz on the outback farms, small rotax Toyota engine I believe!

Anyone got some inside info....

[harry the cod]

Are all these figures monthly or per quarter? Please say the latter or i'm about to fall over with shock. I thought day light robbery was banned in the civilized World.

Harry

[Narrow Runway]

Middle East. Civilised World?

[harry the cod]

NR

I forgot to stick a 'sarcasm' smiley after the statement..... for those who perhaps aren't familiar with recognising it.

Still, my question stands. Monthly or quarterly?

[Silky]

Monthly, getting the DEWA bill nowadays is more stressful than tea and biscuits!!
Reckon tis cheaper hire a Henny from Byrne rentals the way bills are:yuk: going! 3000 per month plus the diesel!! Rather they got it than DEWA!!

[Payscale]

5500 AED. 3 adults. 1 todler. 4 bed arabian ranches. Garden with pool but almost no grass...In the winter it around 4000 AED. We dont use A/C constantly and turn the lights off when we leave the room..:ouch:

[Vagrant]

4 bed newish villa, 2 adults, 1 teen: 3900,2800,3700 for the last 3 billed months, of which fuel surcharge was about 1000 in total.

Prepare for more as fuel subsidies are rumoured to be reduced.

V

[ManaAdaSystem]

For the EK bunch, how much of the bill does the company cover?

Provided the numbers are correct, this should stop pilots from joining Flydubai or other "no housing provided" companies.
Posting bills here is way more effective than SMA's lunatic rants.

Provided the bills are correct. I never had water and electricity bills above 1000 Dirhams when I stayed in ME.
It's been a while, though.

[BigGeordie]

The company muttered last year about any bills over 21,600 per year being reclaimed via salary deduction. However, I don't think anybody actually got charged for going over the limit. The threat remains though.

It is an unfair cap as the company housing stock is hugely variable in size and age. The newer buildings are better insulated and presumably the a/c units are more effective. I imagine some of the 20 year old villas that were never that well built in the first place must be very hard to keep cool.

[glofish]

And the locals get it for free, just like food stamps.

As food, water and electricity are basic needs, this is nothing less than racism.

[Sciolistes]

Family of four in a 3+1 room villa and my bills are 1500/mo and over a third of that is the housing fee and about 200 for the surcharge. The 3000+ bills mentioned seem somewhat excessive.

[CAVnotOK]

I believe the "Local" rate is 10% of the what the expats are charged!?

[BigGeordie]

I seem to recall reading in The Gulf News that the Emiratis' free water allowance has just been doubled to 20,000 gallons per month. After that they pay a "local rate" but I don't know how much that is.

Somebody has to pay for the free water.

[Desert Dawg]

From a "local" horse's mouth....

Water is free for the first 10,000 gallons... Electricity and sewerage, plus fuel surcharges etc. are as per normal rates applied to expats.

10,000 gallons free... now THAT'S a lot of free water!!

[SK9]

What exactly is DEWA?
Do you have to pay any ¨DEWA´¨ when living in a two bed company
apartment and if so, how much in average
Could you pocket extra cash if sharing a villa with a couple of mates.
Thanks

[BigGeordie]

DEWA is Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. Like many things here, water and electricity is a state monopoly. If you are in company accommodation then the company pays your water and power bill.

Villa sharing is technically illegal so I couldn't possibly comment...:oh: