Emirates and water/electricity bill

[flywildcamel]

Here is what Emirates says on their website:

http://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/english/Careers_Overview/Pilot_Jobs/pilot_faq.aspx (http://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/english/Careers_Overview/Pilot_Jobs/pilot_faq.aspx)
· Who pays my electricity, water and telephone bills? (http://javascript<b></b>:void(0);)
Emirates we will pay the costs of electricity, water supply and municipality taxes (if the employee resides in company accommodation). The local calls to land lines are free of charge and the company will provide a telephone allowance.


After receiving my DEWA memo, it says that Emirates has a cap of 27000 dhs... I am already about to reach it... and I can tell you that we are not a big water neither electricity consumer!!!
50000 kw/h (climatisation most probably the reason) and 160000 IG for 24000 dhs!!!

So who pays the bill at the end? pilots or EK?

[White Knight]

EK pays! As the contract says........................

[Gulfstreamaviator]

or: recruitment accomodation page of www.

Candidates who are successful in their applications with Emirates, may be eligible for an accommodation allowance, or supplied with a furnished villa or apartment. (As a general indication, a two bedroom apartment costs between AED 50,000-70,000 per year, while a three bedroom villa, can go as high as AED 170,000). Utilities, such as power, air-conditioning and water are mostly additional costs to be borne by the candidate.

take you pick....

glf

[vfenext]

At 27,000dhs you are either in denial about being a big water/elec user or you have a big leak in your water system.

[Schnowzer]

There are 2 different things.

Company accomm, EK pick up the DEWA tab up to 27k. Most in company accomm do not exceed the 27k DEWA cap.

If you took the housing allowance, you get about 170k which is to be used for a house and utilities. I'd only do that if you plan to buy or live in a small appartment as a singly or have a commuting plan of some kind.

EK pay the bill and if it ends up exceeding the cap, deduct it back. Same with education.

[flywildcamel]

I have no water leakage...

The electricity consumption is much more important and I am not using that much appliances (I always check that all the lights are off, 1 tv only..), my guess is that coming from the A/C... how to live with no A/C during the hot months in that country?

I am just above the average (line)... and my accomodation is far less biger than in Semer...

So how could I or others can reach that 27000 dhs so quickly? or is that figures is too low (based on the EMPTY villas?)...

[falconeasydriver]

I'm out at DSO, have a garden about 3 times the average size and am in one of the newer villas.
Water usage is about 10% above average as you'd expect I guess, but our electricity useage is about 20% below average, and as electricity is the more expensive of the 2, I'm happy with that.
Yearly cost based on the new surcharge comes out at about 20000dhs (wife and 2 young kids) so I'm at a loss to explain how a smaller villa than mine can be up near the cap...unless of course the a/c runs 24/7...you have 5 flat screens and dont bother to turn off the garden lights.

[flywildcamel]

Falcon,
This is my problem!
I have only one TV, not running all the time long, the AC doesn't work at this time of the year, it was during the summer!
same config as you but with a small garden, that's why this "bill" is quite a non sense!
Is there a mistake somewhere?
I don't know where this electricity consumption is coming from...

[145qrh]

Probably have street lights coming throúgh your meter :)

[donpizmeov]

FWC,

I can't see how you could be unaware about the DEWA thing as its been written about for a few years now.

I know you are probably already doing this but just in case:
Use the timers on your aircon, so they turn off aircon downstairs when you are upstairs sleeping etc. Try not to have all the downstairs aircon units running at the same time during the day. Don't run the aircon too cold.

A fella I know had a bill very similiar to yours (he is in Cedre villas). But he had just left all the aircon turned on at 22 degrees since he had moved in. We programmed his timers and his last months bill was less than half the previous months.

Godd luck.

The Don

[McNulty]

sorry to go a bit off topic, but do emirates pay for things like internet bills or do you have to arrange that stuff yourself?

[Orangewing]

You pay that yourself - and its not cheap!

[flywildcamel]

In fact my A/C was set at 24 degrees, all the time, never below that value.. but yes, downstairs, it was working 24hrs, it is normal during the summer, isn't it?
Well, now it doesn't run anymore, will see the next report!!!

[falconeasydriver]

FWC,

In the past I ran our aircon in much the same way, now just as Don said, its run on the timer, and in point of fact for the past 2 months it only runs upstairs at night.
Result being we effectively cut our consumption in half, another tactic is during the morning when its cool at the moment, all the windows and doors get opened to get the cooler air to flow in and push the warmer air out and up.

[Cam32]

If you opt out of company, you might have to deal with EMPOWER. They seem to charge you regardless if the AC is on or off. 600 in the winter months. 900-1000 in summer, (2 BD 140SQM). This is AC only. There is a fixed cost every 3 months. I like to think of it as a tax. Along with the DEWA tax. :rolleyes:

I am pretty sure most of the company's in Dubai are geared to extract money back from the Expats they invite in.

My DEWA in the same place can be around 900, I live alone and turn the lights off when I am not in the room.

Anyway, yup it will be a lot more expensive than home. I give this info as some gauge for what you familied guys have got to pay.

[Left Coaster]

In talking with some of my EK buddies and reading here how some use the AC in their own villas, I have to ask the question...would you leave the AC running 24/365 if you were still living in your home country? Or leave the furnace running in the summer if you come from cooler climes? How about thinking a little and take the initiative to teach your kids (if you have any) about saving energy? Water use? The UAE is running out of oil AND water, the useage is way over the top in the UAE and it's shameful how some of us expats are part of it. Think globally people and use the opportunity to make a small contribution. Cheers!
LC

[777boyindubai]

Left Coaster. I don't think there are too many of us that come from countries with summer temperatures hovering around 50 degrees C. In addition, most accommodation in Dubai is of a poor standard of construction and fit out. In particular, insulation and poor air con design.
DEWA have the monopoly to supply electricity and water.

That may explain some of the high bills our friends are talking about here.

The fuel surcharge is a tax on expats to pay for Emirati families getting 20000 gallona a month of water. For free.

We ALL need to do our bit, but, we need to look at all the factors.

[TineeTim]

I remember reading that there were people over the cap that hadn't been charged. Has that changed? Are guys who are over the limit having $$ deducted from their pay?

[donpizmeov]

Tinee,

I don't know of anyone that has had money deducted because of this. I know of several that have had letters telling them they are over the limit. What happens in the future is anyone's guess.

The Don

[harry the cod]

Left Coaster

Whilst I agree that we should all do our bit to conserve energy, the majority of expat pilots and their families are mostly from Countries where environmental issues are instilled and practised. This starts at schools and continues into most aspects of our working and home lives through car pooling, recycling, public transport and waste management. So, although I make every effort to switch off lights, save water and monitor my AC, I'm not prepared to make unreasonable sacrifices when the Emiratis themselves don't.

If the UAE government was serious regarding its policy on the environment, it would stop the free water to locals and the heavily discounted electricity (80-90% less). Until the time where we all 'share the pain', i'll be more than happy to live up to and, if necessary, go over the cap. I should not and will not feel guilty.

Perhaps this is why EK has not yet ventured into seeking money from those above the 'limit'. Blatant discrimination and racism would not make comfortable reading for a Company with Emirates' future Worldwide expansion plans.

Harry

[ruserious]

V, I think you will find that all the easy water from the aquifers has been drained to a point that they have very low levels, hence the de-salination, which is not really a great solution, but because they have lots of cheap energy is workable.

[Gulfstreamaviator]

The waste is proportionally greater with locals, as is the rubbish left all around the place, with no concern whatsoever.

Desal is 90% of the water consumption.

The severely discounted services are perfectly acceptable, but if not used responsably, will as stated above be considered glutenous. (spl).

glf

[Left Coaster]

It's interesting to see that hiding behind the locals is what you guys use to justify your argument. This was never about that. Simple statement: Conservation of resources starts with you. Just because a limit is set by a government or employer is no reason to gleefully use it all up. Are you happy using all your contingency fuel up enroute just because it's there? Or do you save it for the future? (I like to try to have some cont fuel left closer to the end of a flight when it gets a little more critical) Saving resources like water leaves something for our kids and their kids...I dont disagree that more needs to be done here to slow down the excesses, but using the argument of "well I won't until they will" is downright insincere.

[harry the cod]

LC

I don't think anyone is hiding behind the locals as an excuse.

Most 'environmentally educated' people will continue to behave towards the environment in the way they feel morally obliged to do so regardless of how others behave. Just because I see a blacked out landcruiser open its door in the parking lot and discard a pile of McDonalds rubbish onto the floor is not going to make me do the same out of spite.

However, I am not going to feel pressured into making unnecessary sacrifices for me and my family when I know that these restrictions are not applied fairly. Only when the Company starts applying 'unit' usage as the measure, rather than 'cost', will we accept that this policy applies to every employee, regardless of nationality.

Harry

[BizJetJock]

FWC
I'm intrigued by your idea of being not big water users.
160,000IG in a year in Europe would be typical consumption for a family of 16...

[flywildcamel]

Biz,
I am not, that's why I am wondering about those figures...
I remember having a water leakeage from a DEWA pipe at my entry in this villa, but I don't think this was the reason of that big amount of water...
Will see!

[jcf507]

Best alternative to this issue would be Solar Power my Friends just invest in it for what I know there is alot of sunny days year round in Dubai just have your Panels instaled on the Roof or other place that may workout it may be a bit expensive investment but on the long run it will pay back you may use this power source during low power consuption or get a System that will support AC , they are available on the internet from China...
I heard that Panasonic is also improving on these Products...

The other important thing is to make sure you have the appropiate Airconditioning unit with the Correct Amount of BTU's according to your Room Dimensions remenber more Work on the compressor = More Energy Consumption , if the Units Are Old just throw them away.... and keep the Filters clean.

Buy new Panasonic Inverter Technology they are exelent alternatives for saving , all the Mega stores sell them here in Panama.

My yearly Bill comes to $2500UDS. 1 Air conditioner running about 12 hours a day , Gas Water heater , loundry once every week , gas Dryer , all my lamps are energy efficient and are off when I dont use them, so there is a comparison.

Hope this will help solve the issues.

Regards.

[BigGeordie]

Nice advertisement for Panasonic there.

And yes, you would think solar would be the way to go. Unfortunately the only solar power in Dubai are small panels on top of the parking meters. There are no domestic solar panels available. At all, anywhere. Have a think about why that might be (Hint: there is only one power company in Dubai and it is run by the government).

[Desertweasel]

Bizarrely it is actually illegal to run your own solar power here, there is a monopoly on power generation and that is DEWA.
If that could change I could see a great future for gardens full of panels (they would make a nice shade for the barbie as well)

[BigGeordie]

Trouble is for most of the year you don't need to heat the water, you need to cool it down!