DEWA Bill Calculator: Estimate Your Dubai Electricity and Water Bill

How is a DEWA bill calculated?

A DEWA bill is a stack of separate charges. Most of them depend on how much electricity and water you used that month, and two of them are Dubai Municipality fees that DEWA collects for the city. The calculator above follows the residential tariff for expatriate customers.

Electricity is charged in slabs. Each rate applies only to the units inside that slab, so using more never makes your first 2,000 kWh more expensive. On top of the slab charge, you pay a fuel surcharge on every kWh.

Water works the same way, but in cubic metres. DEWA moved water billing from imperial gallons to cubic metres in March 2025.

Then come the fixed and percentage charges:

• Meter service charges: AED 5 to 35 for electricity and AED 5 to 7 for water, depending on your meter type. The calculator assumes AED 10 in total.
• VAT: 5% on the DEWA charges (consumption, fuel surcharges and meter charges).
• Sewerage fee: 2 fils per imperial gallon of water in 2026, which is about AED 4.40 per m³. It is a Dubai Municipality fee collected through DEWA.
• Housing fee: 5% of your annual rent, divided into 12 monthly amounts. It applies to tenants and has no VAT. If you own your home, leave the rent box empty.

A worked example

Say you rent an apartment for AED 90,000 a year, and this month you used 2,500 kWh of electricity and 30 m³ of water. That is a realistic summer month for a family running the air conditioning most of the day.

1. Electricity slabs: 2,000 kWh x 23 fils = AED 460.00, plus 500 kWh x 28 fils = AED 140.00. Total AED 600.00.
2. Electricity fuel surcharge: 2,500 kWh x 6 fils = AED 150.00.
3. Water: 27 m³ x AED 7.70 = AED 207.90, plus 3 m³ x AED 8.80 = AED 26.40. Total AED 234.30.
4. Water fuel surcharge: 30 m³ x AED 1.10 = AED 33.00.
5. Meter service charges: AED 10.00.
6. DEWA charges so far: AED 1,027.30. VAT at 5%: AED 51.37.
7. Sewerage fee: 30 m³ x AED 4.40 = AED 132.00.
8. Housing fee: AED 90,000 x 5% / 12 = AED 375.00.

Estimated total: AED 1,585.67 for the month. The housing fee and the sewerage fee together make up about a third of this bill, which surprises many new tenants.

Rules to know

• The fuel surcharge changes. DEWA revises it periodically: it is 6 fils per kWh in October 2026 and was 6.5 fils for a long time before that. Check the current rate on the DEWA slab tariff page.
• The sewerage fee is rising in phases. Dubai Municipality announced the increase in 2024, and the 2026 rate is 2 fils per gallon. The per m³ figure is a conversion, so your bill may differ slightly.
• UAE nationals have lower tariffs, so this calculator will overestimate their bill.
• Your bill can include other items, such as a sustainability fee, that the calculator does not add.

How can I lower my DEWA bill?

• Watch the 2,000 kWh line. Every kWh above it costs 28 fils plus the surcharge instead of 23.
• Set the air conditioning to 24°C or higher and clean the filters. Cooling is the biggest part of most summer bills.
• Fix dripping taps and running toilets. Water above 27 m³ costs more per m³, and the sewerage fee is added on top.
• Plan for summer. A July or August bill can be far higher than a winter bill for the same home.
• Count the housing fee when you compare rents. An apartment at AED 120,000 a year adds AED 500 a month to your DEWA bill before you switch on a light.

If you are planning a move, our guide to renting in Dubai and the moving to Dubai checklist cover the other set-up costs. For a wider view of monthly spending, read Is the cost of living high in the UAE?