# DEWA new connection: how to get electricity and water switched on in your Dubai home > How a DEWA new connection works in Dubai: Ejari first, the documents to keep handy, the refundable deposit and how long switch-on takes. Source: https://newdubai.life/articles/set-up-dewa/ Updated: 2026-10-20 For a DEWA new connection as a tenant, you start by registering your tenancy with Ejari. DEWA then texts and emails you an account number and a link to pay a refundable security deposit. Once you pay, it usually switches you on within about 15 hours. In the NTD Team's own moves, it has taken 1 to 3 days. DEWA is the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, which supplies power and water to homes in Dubai. This guide covers what to have ready, what order to do things in and the bits that catch newcomers out. ## Do your Ejari first: it starts the DEWA process for you Ejari is the official system for registering tenancy contracts in Dubai. If you rent, DEWA needs a valid Ejari number. Its system is linked to the Dubai Land Department, so registering your Ejari is what creates your DEWA account. DEWA calls this One Step Move-in. The landlord is supposed to register the Ejari. In practice, you or your agent will probably end up doing it. Once it's registered, your Ejari and contract are added to the government apps automatically. Our guide on [how to register your tenancy with Ejari](https://newdubai.life/articles/ejari/) takes you through it. Renting a room in someone else's flat? The DEWA account is tied to the Ejari, so it will be in the name of whoever holds the Ejari. Agree how you'll split the bill before you move in, not after the first summer bill arrives. ## What to have ready With One Step Move-in, you don't have to send DEWA any documents once your Ejari is registered. Keep these to hand anyway, because if the message never arrives you'll need to apply yourself: - Your valid Ejari tenancy contract - Your Emirates ID (front and back) - A copy of your passport showing your residence visa page - Your home's 9-digit DEWA premise number - A UAE mobile number and an email address that you actually check, because that's where DEWA's messages go - A bank card to pay the deposit online The premise number is the one people go hunting for. It's the 9-digit number that identifies your home on DEWA's system. You'll find it displayed at the entrance of each property in Dubai, and it's also printed on any old DEWA bill for the flat. If your Emirates ID hasn't arrived yet, ask DEWA what it will accept before you apply. ## Step by step: from Ejari to lights on For most tenants, the whole process looks like this: - Register your Ejari, or have your agent do it. Make sure your name, Emirates ID and mobile number are correct. - Watch for DEWA's welcome SMS and email. They include your new account number, the deposit amount and a payment link. - Pay the deposit online using that link. - Wait for activation. - On your first day, take a photo of the meter reading and keep it. No message from DEWA? You can still apply. Fill in the application form on DEWA's website and send it with your deposit payment, or go to a DEWA service centre and do it in person. To use DEWA's app and website, you log in with UAE Pass or a DEWA ID. UAE Pass is the UAE's digital ID, which lets you sign in to government services with your phone. If you haven't set it up yet, read [UAE Pass: what it is and how to set it up](https://newdubai.life/articles/uae-pass/) first. You'll use it for much more than DEWA. ## The security deposit: what it is and what sets the amount Every new account holder pays a security deposit. It isn't a fee. You get it back when you move out, minus anything you still owe. The amount depends on your type of home: a villa needs a higher deposit than an apartment. Your exact amount will be in DEWA's welcome message. A later guide will cover all your setting-up costs in one place. ## How long the connection takes Once you've paid through One Step Move-in, you're usually switched on within about 15 hours. In the NTD Team's experience, it has taken anywhere from 1 to 3 days from applying to having power. Plan around the longer time. Delays nearly always come from details that don't match. If the Ejari isn't registered yet, or has the wrong name or phone number on it, the DEWA message may never reach you. If the previous tenant hasn't closed their account, ask your agent or landlord to chase it. Our advice: start as soon as your Ejari is through, not on the morning you get the keys. Moving furniture in by phone torch in August is not a fun first night. ## What's on your DEWA bill, and what isn't Your monthly DEWA bill covers electricity and water. It also includes the Dubai Municipality housing fee, which is worked out from your annual rent and added to your bill automatically, so you don't need to pay it separately. Air conditioning catches a lot of people out. Some buildings use district cooling, where a central plant pumps chilled water to many buildings at once. If yours does, the cooling company sends you a separate monthly bill. Empower is one of these companies, covering areas such as Business Bay, JLT and Palm Jumeirah. You may need to open an account with it and pay a separate refundable deposit. In "chiller-free" buildings, the landlord pays for cooling through the service charge. Elsewhere, your AC units run on your own electricity, so they show up on your DEWA bill. Before you sign, ask your agent what the DEWA bill is in winter and in summer. If the building has district cooling, ask about the cooling bill too. Then you'll know what you're in for. Everyone on the NTD Team uses the Breasy app for AC servicing and follows its advice. Landlords usually arrange major repairs through it too. Our guide to [maintaining your air conditioning](https://newdubai.life/articles/ac-maintenance/) explains why servicing matters here. Home internet is separate as well. Dubai has three internet providers. Two of them bundle TV and a phone line, whether you want them or not. Virgin sells 5G (wireless) internet-only packages, but expect a slightly slower connection than a wired one. Read more in [how to get a SIM card in Dubai, plus home internet](https://newdubai.life/articles/get-a-sim-card/). ## Moving out: closing the account and getting your deposit back When you leave, ask DEWA to close your account (a move-out request) on the app or website, and choose the date and time. DEWA cuts the supply within 24 working hours of that time. It then emails and texts your final bill within 24 working hours. Pay the final bill and DEWA sends your clearance certificate automatically. It refunds whatever is left of your deposit the way you chose: to a bank account (IBAN), by cheque or onto another active DEWA account. If the final bill is bigger than your deposit, you pay the difference. Moving to another home in Dubai? DEWA's Move-to service moves your account to the new place, and you'll need the new home's premise number and Ejari number. Either way, sort out DEWA before you hand back the keys. Otherwise the next person's usage could end up on your bill. ## Living in another emirate? DEWA won't be your supplier DEWA only covers Dubai. Plenty of people work in Dubai and live next door, and each emirate has its own supplier with its own process: - Sharjah: SEWA (Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority) - Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Distribution Co. - Al Ain: Al Ain Distribution Company - Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah: Etihad Water and Electricity (EtihadWE) Don't assume the Dubai steps work the same way anywhere else. Check with the supplier for the emirate you're moving to. ## Ask around, then check for yourself Talk to people who've lived here. They'll know shortcuts and pitfalls you won't find on any form. Just don't treat their advice as the final word. Things in Dubai change quickly, so what worked for a friend last year might work differently now. Get a second opinion, and check DEWA's own website before you act on anything, including this page. ## Next step Once the lights and taps are working, it's time to sort out the rest: internet, AC and everything else that makes a flat feel like home. Our [setting up your home guides](https://newdubai.life/topics/home-setup/) take you through them one at a time.