What to Do If You're Faced With a High DEWA Bill | ExpatWoman.com
 

What to Do If You're Faced With a High DEWA Bill

Receiving a particularly high DEWA bill at the end of the month isn't anyone's idea of fun in Dubai

Posted on

17 October 2018

Last updated on 19 January 2020
by Rebecca Roberts
High DEWA bills in Dubai

Found yourself faced with an usually high DEWA bill at the end of the month? Here's the action you should take.

It's not an uncommon story to hear in Dubai; your friend or neighbour has been slapped with a huge DEWA bill that they weren't expecting.

Besides the issue of having to pay the bill or query the amount with DEWA - more on that here - you need to check your home for any visible water leaks.

SEE ALSO: High DEWA bills? Here's something that can help

There are several reasons why your DEWA bill could be considerably high while living in Dubai, but here are the steps and actions to take if you fall victim to an unwanted leak in your home.

1. Check all taps are tightly closed

This is particularly important if you live in an older unit. Dubai's new builds don't tend to face this problem, but for older communities, it's important that you inspect and/or replace taps that are old and leaking in your property. After all, each drip adds to that bill you need to pay at the end of the month.

2. Check all toilets in your home

Especially flush tanks and toilets that are not in regular use in your home - like in a guest bathroom.

Another thing to watch out for with your toilets are cracks. Particularly in villas, which thanks to Dubai's hot wather, toilets may crack due to changes in temperatures between A/C usage. A crack in a toilet basin can leak, and thus build up your DEWA bill.

3. Check your water consuming equipment

By this we mean water heaters, washing machines, dishwashers and so on. Loose piping or connections between your white goods and the main water pipes may result in a leakage.

Also double check their water usage; if you can shorten a washing machine cycle from 3 hours to 1.5 hours, you'll of course use less water every time you run the machine.

High DEWA bills in Dubai

4. Check for water spots

Be they in your kitchen, bathroom or living room. Any water spot that appears on your walls or ceilings should be immediately checked-out. It may be a sign that your water tank has burst or similar.

5. For villas, check your water tank

Water tanks in villas have a tendancy to overflow if not properly maintained. Some properties have them under their driveways, others have them on the roof or in their back yards - it depends on what development you're living in.

SEE ALSO: Dubai has the HIGHEST expat population in the world

Either way, regular maintanence checks on your water tank is particularly important while living in villas to ensure your DEWA bill doesn't get too high.

6. Check irrigations and swimming pools

It's easy to forget, especially in a villa, that all external water consumption is also covered in your bill. That includes the water your gardener is using to desperately bring your grass back to life.

If you have an irrigation system installed in your back garden, again, make sure it is properly maintained and checked regularly. Swimming pool maintenance is a notoriously high cost, but worth the additional expense to ensure a leak or problem with it doesn't result in a 30k+ Dhs DEWA bill.

7. Timings for sprinklers or irrigation

Double check that you or your gardener are not using excess amounts of water while maintaining your green space. Make sure your irrigation or sprinklers are properly timed if they're automatic, to ensure those things aren't deciding to water your flowers in the middle of the night... And waste water while doing it.

What if I can't find the water leakage in my Dubai home?

If you've done all you can to double check for a water leak in your home but have failed to identify its location, then you should contact your landlord or maintenance company to check further so any leakage can be fixed ASAP.

 
 

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