A DEWA move to Dubai request transfers your electricity and water, and your security deposit, from one Dubai home to the next in a single application. Here is what it needs, what it costs, how long to plan for and when the longer route is better.
Your new lease starts on the first of the month. The old one runs to the end of the last. Somewhere in that gap sits a small administrative task that decides whether you carry a deposit, a final bill and a dark flat into the move, or none of them.
A DEWA move to Dubai request is the single application built for this moment: it closes electricity and water at the old address and opens them at the new one, deposit included. It sounds simple, and mostly it is, but it only runs smoothly when the numbers line up, the old balance is cleared and the new home does not need a bigger deposit. This guide walks through the request, the money, the timing and the cases where doing it the long way is the smarter choice.
A DEWA move to Dubai request, which DEWA lists as Transfer of Electricity/Water (Move-To), closes your electricity and water account at the old home and opens it at the new one in one application, and it carries your existing security deposit across instead of refunding one and charging another.
You need the contract account number and move-out date for the old home, the premises number and Ejari number for the new one, and a UAE Pass or DEWA login. Every outstanding bill on the old account must be paid first, and if the new home needs a larger deposit (reported as AED 2,000 for a flat and AED 4,000 for a villa) you pay the difference.
Guides that quote DEWA put new-home connection at 15 working hours after payment and old-home disconnection at 24 working hours after your chosen date. Fees for a small-meter home add up to roughly AED 250 to 300 before VAT, depending on which guide you trust. Our reading: Move-To saves you the deposit float, not the fees. It does not move cooling, gas, internet, Ejari or the housing fee.
This is a desk-research guide. On 29 October 2026 we read the Dubai Land Department Ejari service page, the Dubai Legislation Portal tariff resolution, the Dubai Media Office notice on water units, Emicool’s published move process and e&’s home-move page.
We also compared more than ten property and news guides that reproduce the rules of a DEWA move to Dubai request. DEWA’s own service-guide page returned an error when we opened it, so every DEWA-specific fee, timing and deposit rule below is labelled reported and should be confirmed on the screen DEWA shows you. Where guides disagree, we show the range instead of choosing a favourite. Nobody tested the service for this page, and inclusion of any provider was not paid for. This is general information, not legal or financial advice.
What a DEWA move to Dubai request is, and what this guide covers
Start with the wording, because the search phrase is a little misleading. “DEWA move to Dubai” sounds like a newcomer flying in. The service behind it is for people who already have a DEWA account at one Dubai address and are going to another. DEWA’s name for it is Transfer of Electricity/Water (Move-To). The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority supplies the whole emirate, so it works for any move between two Dubai premises, and for nothing outside Dubai.
One DEWA move to Dubai application does three jobs. It switches off supply at the old premises on a date you pick. It switches on supply at the new premises. And it carries your security deposit from the old account to the new one, so you are not refunded one amount and charged another. Gulf News reported in 2022 that the service launched in 2017; the mechanics have been tweaked since, but the idea has not changed.
Who can use it
Dubizzle’s summary of the DEWA guide lists individuals (locals and expatriates), government and semi-government entities, and businesses. The channels differ by customer type. The DubaiNow app is for individuals only, and a business will usually go through the DEWA website or app with a trade licence on file. Owners moving into a home they bought apply with a title deed in place of an Ejari. We cover each of those cases in the sections that follow.
What is covered here and what is not
This page covers the DEWA move to Dubai transfer itself: the route choice, the inputs, the steps, the deposit and fee arithmetic, the timing and the first bills afterwards. Three neighbours cover the rest, so we keep to our lane.
- Arriving with no DEWA account yet, or taking over an empty unit: read the DEWA move-in guide for Ejari-triggered activation and new-account deposits.
- Leaving Dubai or closing an account with no replacement: the DEWA move-out guide covers final bills, refunds and clearance certificates in detail.
- Everything else that makes a flat liveable, from Ejari to cooling and furniture: the home setup guide is the wider checklist.
Why does a separate DEWA move to Dubai page exist at all, when you could simply close one account and open another? Because the two routes behave differently around money and dates, and the difference shows up at the worst moment, usually a few days before keys. The next section sets them side by side.
Move-To or separate move out and move in: which route fits
There are two legitimate ways to change DEWA address inside Dubai. The first is a single DEWA move to Dubai request. The second is a move-out request for the old home and a move-in activation for the new one, handled as two unrelated jobs. People tend to default to whichever they heard about first, but the right choice depends on who holds the account, what happens to the deposit and how far apart your two dates are.
| Question | Move-To (one request) | Move out, then move in |
|---|---|---|
| Number of requests | One, made against the old account | Two, one for each address |
| Fees, small meters (reported, before VAT) | About AED 250 to 300 | About AED 250 to 300 (our calculation, same line items) |
| Deposit | Existing deposit moves; you pay only a shortfall | Old deposit is refunded after the final bill; a new one is paid up front |
| Fresh cash before the new supply starts (flat to flat) | The fees | The fees plus a new AED 2,000, while the old AED 2,000 waits |
| Dates | Old supply ends on the date you choose; new supply follows payment | Each date is set separately |
| Best for | Same account holder, clean balance, similar home type | Different names, a surplus deposit, or weeks between homes |
Choose a DEWA move to Dubai request when
The cleanest case is one person (or one company) holding the old account and signing the new lease, with every bill on the old account already paid. In that case the request is quick and the deposit rolls over without a gap. It also suits a move between two similar homes, such as a one-bedroom flat to a two-bedroom flat, because no deposit top-up is needed and nothing needs to be refunded.
The reported rules also make a DEWA move to Dubai request the natural choice when you want the old supply to stay on until a specific hand-over day. Bayut’s guide says supply at the old address ends on the move-out date you enter, which gives you a controlled overlap for moving boxes and booking a deep clean before you give the keys back.
Choose the long way when
Three situations argue for two separate requests. First, the new lease is in a different name from the old DEWA account, for example a flatmate who held the account and you now sign alone. Deposits follow account holders, so a transfer that crosses names is the kind of thing to ask DEWA about, not assume. This is our inference from how the deposit works, not a published rule.
Second, someone is staying behind. A DEWA move to Dubai request disconnects the old premises, so if a flatmate or family member remains there, closing it would cut their supply. They would need their own tenancy registration and activation, covered in the move-in guide.
Third, you are going from a villa to a flat. The guides explain a top-up when the new deposit is larger, but none we read explains what happens to the surplus when it is smaller. We return to that gap in the deposit section.
Our calculation: what the saving really is
Look at the fee lines. A DEWA move to Dubai request combines a deactivation charge at the old home and an activation charge at the new one, plus the knowledge, innovation and registration fees. A separate move-out and move-in pays the same list. Add them up under any of the three reported small-meter prices (AED 100, 112.50 or 125 per side) and both routes land between AED 250 and 300. So the fee is a wash.
The difference is cash flow. On the long route you pay a fresh AED 2,000 deposit for a flat before the new supply starts, then wait for the old AED 2,000 to come back after the final bill. No guide we read states a refund timeline for ordinary tenants. On a villa the float is AED 4,000. A DEWA move to Dubai request keeps that money working in one place, and that is the entire financial case for it.
The details a DEWA move to Dubai request asks for
Most stalled applications come down to a missing or mistyped number, so gather everything before you open the form. A DEWA move to Dubai request ties two homes together, which means it needs identifiers from both. The old home supplies an account number and a date. The new home supplies a premises number and an Ejari. You supply a login and a card.
From the old home
Contract account number
Printed on your DEWA bill and shown inside your DEWA account or the Smart App. It identifies the account that is being closed and whose deposit is being moved.
Move-out date and time
The day supply at the old address ends. Bayut’s guide describes entering a date and time, and says the final reading is taken then. Pick your last-trip day, not the day you start packing.
Registered mobile number
Gulf News’ step-by-step asks for the mobile number registered under your name with DEWA. If your number changed since you opened the account, update it before you apply, or the one-time code goes to a phone you no longer use.
From the new home
Premises number
A nine-digit number, normally on a plate or sticker at the entrance, as Property Finder and dubizzle describe it. It also appears on the tenancy contract. Check it against the unit you are actually moving into, because a neighbouring unit has a different one.
Ejari number
The registration number of the new tenancy. Tenants outside free zones need a valid one, and the Ejari has to exist before DEWA can accept the request. Bayut notes some free-zone properties are exempt and use a tenancy-details option instead.
Customer type
Tenant, owner, free-zone tenant or business. The type decides which document DEWA expects: an Ejari, a title deed, a tenancy contract or a trade licence.
From you
A UAE Pass or DEWA ID login, the business partner number if the form does not pre-fill it, and a debit or credit card for the service charges. Dubizzle’s summary of the DEWA guide also lists a passport copy or Emirates ID for GCC nationals and investors. That is the full list in the sources we could read. None of them mentions a lease upload, a landlord signature or a cheque for the online route, though dubizzle notes that the DEWA page itself does not explain how documents are submitted, so watch for an upload prompt.
Getting the Ejari right first
The Ejari is the one input that depends on someone else. On the Dubai Land Department’s service page, registration costs AED 177.75 through the Dubai REST app or the DLD website, and AED 220 through a Real Estate Trustee Centre. The app route needs a copy of the unified tenancy contract and works only when tenant and landlord are both individuals. At a trustee centre the page quotes about 25 minutes, excluding queues, and asks for the original contract and Emirates ID.
Plan for the registration to be done a few days before you submit your DEWA move to Dubai request, not on the same afternoon. Your landlord or their agent sometimes files it, so ask who is doing it and when. For the wider rental context, including what a tenancy contract should say, see our home setup checklist.
The old Ejari is a separate job
Closing the old tenancy record does not happen inside a DEWA move to Dubai request. The Dubai Land Department’s termination page says an owner who manages their own property cancels through the Property Wallet in DubaiNow, and the tenant then approves or declines the request. It lists no fee for cancellation. That sequence belongs to your landlord, and it sits behind the final bill and clearance certificate we cover in the move-out guide.
Name matching, our reading
None of the guides states that the name on the old DEWA account must match the tenant on the new Ejari, but the deposit logic implies it. If the two differ, call DEWA before you pay anything. A short call is cheaper than a transfer that stops halfway with money on the table.
The DEWA move to Dubai request, step by step
The menu names move around when DEWA redesigns its site, so treat the path below as a map, not a script. The sequence, though, is stable across every guide we compared: clear the old account, confirm the new deposit, submit, pay, then wait for confirmation. Do the first two before you touch the form, because the form will not let you past them anyway.
- Pay everything outstanding on the old account.Log in, look at the balance and settle it. Every guide we read says an unpaid balance blocks the transfer. Do this at least a day ahead, so a payment that takes time to post does not hold you up on submission day.
- Confirm the new Ejari and premises number.Have the Ejari certificate open and read the digits off it. The form will ask for both numbers, and the premises number on your contract should match the plate at the unit.
- Open the DEWA move to Dubai service.On the DEWA website or Smart App, sign in with UAE Pass or your DEWA ID, then look under Consumer for Supply Management and Transfer of Electricity/Water (Move-To). Gulf News describes that menu path; Bayut and dubizzle describe the same service in nearly the same words.
- Enter the old-home details.That means the move-out date (and time), the registered mobile number and the contract account number. Check that the business partner number is pre-filled, and choose the customer type, typically tenant.
- Enter the new-home details.Type the Ejari number and the premises number. Slow down here: this is where a single wrong digit points your deposit at somebody else’s unit.
- Calculate, then settle what it shows.Gulf News describes a Calculate step that shows outstanding dues. Pay any balance and any deposit top-up before submitting. Then pay the service charges by card. Supply at the new address starts once the deposit is covered.
- Save the reference number.DEWA confirms by SMS or email. The reference number lets you track the request, and you should screenshot it before you close the page.
- Check the result.Reported targets are new-home supply within 15 working hours of payment and old-home disconnection within 24 working hours of your chosen date. After the final bill is paid, a clearance certificate for the old home is emailed to you.
Which channel can do what
Dubizzle’s summary of the DEWA service guide lists three submission channels. The DEWA website or app handles every case. The DEWA Customer Care IVR works only when there is no balance and no deposit change, so a flat-to-villa move cannot use it. The DubaiNow app is for individuals, not companies.
Bayut adds an in-person option: any Customer Happiness Centre will hand you the form and ask for the same details. Betterhomes reports weekday opening hours from early morning to mid-afternoon, a shorter Friday and closure on Saturday and Sunday, so confirm before you go. An older Property Finder piece also mentions RERA-registered real estate companies and Dubai Land Department authorised offices as application points. That detail is the oldest item here, so treat it as unconfirmed.
Paying
Card payment on the website or app is the fastest. Property Finder’s article lists other payment routes, including Customer Happiness Centres, Noqodi, DubaiNow and bank channels, but that list is dated and some terminals may have changed. If you plan to pay in person, take your Emirates ID and your account details with you, and check the payment point’s hours first.
If you are not the account holder
A relative, assistant or property manager can prepare the numbers, but the login belongs to the account holder, and the one-time code goes to the registered mobile. Do not share a code with anyone who calls you, which we come back to in the troubleshooting section. If you need someone else to act formally for you, the Happiness Centre is where to ask what authorisation they accept.
What a good DEWA move to Dubai submission looks like
You should end up with a reference number, a confirmation message and, after processing, a welcome email or SMS with the new account details. Bayut says the welcome message arrives after processing and that you can confirm details on the website. If nothing arrives, do not resubmit. Search your inbox and spam folder, then use the tracking screen, then the escalation ladder in the troubleshooting section.
Deposit and fees in a DEWA move to Dubai request
This is the section where a DEWA move to Dubai request either earns its keep or surprises you. The deposit behaves in three different ways depending on the two home types, and the fee list has three competing versions in circulation. We separate what is reported consistently from what is not.
How the deposit travels in a DEWA move to Dubai request
The consistent part: your existing security deposit moves from the old account to the new one. If the new home needs a higher deposit, you pay the difference, and supply starts once that is covered. Reported deposits are AED 2,000 for a flat and AED 4,000 for a villa, with non-residential premises set by consumption. Gulf News adds that moving within the same property type may need no new deposit at all.
Our calculation of the four combinations, using the reported figures:
- Flat to flat: AED 2,000 moves, top-up AED 0.
- Flat to villa: AED 2,000 moves, top-up AED 2,000.
- Villa to villa: AED 4,000 moves, top-up AED 0.
- Villa to flat: AED 4,000 moves into an account that needs AED 2,000, leaving AED 2,000 whose fate is not documented.
The guides explain a shortfall in detail and say nothing about a surplus. Dubizzle’s summary of the DEWA guide also says owners get a deposit refund only when they sell the property, which would matter for an owner moving between two homes they own. If you are downsizing from a villa, watch the Calculate screen for any refund line before you pay, and ask Customer Care if there is none.
What a DEWA move to Dubai request costs
Three versions of the small-meter charge circulate, and all three are recent. Property Finder’s Move-To article lists AED 100 per side. Dubizzle’s Move-To page, modified in September 2026, lists AED 112.50 per side. Gulf News’ August 2026 move-out article lists AED 125 for deactivation, and Engel & Völkers’ activation guide from September 2026 lists the same AED 125 for activation. Large meters are AED 300 per side everywhere. On top of that come a knowledge fee and an innovation fee, plus a registration fee on the activation side.
| Version in circulation | Small meter, per side | Our Move-To total, small meters | Large meters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Older Move-To wording (Gulf News 2022, Bayut): AED 200 combined, plus 20 + 20 + 10 | AED 100 | AED 250 | AED 650 |
| Dubizzle Move-To page: 112.50 per side, plus 10 + 10 out and 10 + 10 + 10 in | AED 112.50 | AED 275 | AED 650 |
| Gulf News move-out and Engel & Völkers activation guides: 125 per side, same extras | AED 125 | AED 300 | AED 650 |
The totals are our arithmetic: two per-side charges plus AED 20 of extra fees on the way out and AED 30 on the way in. VAT is described as applicable where relevant, which could add up to AED 12.50 to 15 on a small-meter total if it applies to every line. Guides also say UAE nationals holding Thukher or Sanad cards get 50% off, but they disagree on whether that covers the deactivation charge, the activation charge or both.
What does this mean for planning? Budget AED 300 for a small-meter DEWA move to Dubai request and treat anything lower as a pleasant surprise. The on-screen total before you pay is the only figure that counts.
Our calculation: the float
Fees are the same on the long route, so the interesting number is the cash you must hold before the new supply starts. On a flat-to-flat move that is AED 250 to 300 by a DEWA move to Dubai request, against roughly AED 2,250 to 2,300 by the separate route, with AED 2,000 of it recoverable later. For a villa the second figure is about AED 4,250 to 4,300. A DEWA move to Dubai request reduces the money that is out of your pocket at the moment you are already paying movers, a landlord deposit and an agent.
Does a DEWA move to Dubai request make the old refund faster? No. It makes the refund unnecessary when the home types match, which is a different thing. If you need cash back from the old account for a larger purchase, such as furniture, the long route is the one that returns it.
The rest of the move-week admin bill
Utilities do not stop at DEWA. For a flat-to-flat move, add the new Ejari (AED 177.75 online or AED 220 at a trustee centre, per the Dubai Land Department) and an internet relocation. The e& home-move page quotes AED 150 excluding 5% VAT, added to a later bill. Dubizzle reports du charging around AED 100.
Our calculation: DEWA AED 250 to 300, Ejari AED 177.75 to 220 and internet AED 100 to 157.50 give a total of roughly AED 530 to 680. That excludes district cooling deposits, the landlord’s security deposit, agent fees and movers. For the internet side in more detail, see our home internet guide.
Timing a DEWA move to Dubai request: the move-week timeline
Two clocks run in every DEWA move to Dubai request, and they are not synchronised. The first belongs to the new home: dubizzle’s summary of the DEWA guide says supply is connected within 15 working hours of payment. The second belongs to the old home: disconnection is due within 24 working hours of the date you chose. After that comes a final bill and, once it is paid, a clearance certificate for the old address.
What “working hours” probably means
None of the sources we read defines it. Our reading is that the clock counts business hours, not calendar hours. If a working day is about eight hours, 15 working hours is roughly two working days and 24 working hours is three. That assumption is why a Thursday payment can plausibly turn into supply on the following Monday, not on Friday. Treat it as a planning rule of thumb and keep a buffer.
Weekends and holidays are the next uncertainty. Online submission is available around the clock for the move-out service, according to Gulf News, but Customer Happiness Centres are reported closed on Saturday and Sunday. Public holidays such as National Day in early December and New Year can stretch any working-hours window, so add days when your move touches one.
A dated DEWA move to Dubai example (illustrative)
Say you receive keys to the new home on Monday 14 December 2026 and plan to hand back the old one on Thursday 17 December, giving a three-day overlap for ferrying boxes and a deep clean. This is an illustration with our own assumptions, not a quote or a DEWA commitment.
- Monday 7 December: Ejari in hand.Register the new tenancy by this date, so the number exists when you need it.
- Tuesday 8 December: clear the old balance.Pay anything outstanding, and check the account for a pending bill that has not been issued yet.
- Wednesday 9 December: submit and pay.Choose Thursday 17 December as the move-out date, pay the deposit top-up (if any) and the fees, and save the reference number. On the two-working-day reading, the new supply should appear by Friday 11 December.
- Monday 14 December: keys day.Test the lights, the sockets, the taps and the cooling before the movers arrive. If anything is off, you still have the old home as a fallback.
- Thursday 17 December: hand-over.Take final photos of the meter. Disconnection can follow up to 24 working hours later, which with the weekend can mean the week of 21 December.
- Friday 18 to about Thursday 24 December: final bill.Gulf News counts 24 working hours from your chosen date, while dubizzle counts from disconnection, so allow the longer window. Pay it as soon as it arrives, because the clearance certificate follows payment.
The buffer rule
Submit at least three working days before keys day, and five if the move touches a holiday or a weekend. That is our planning rule, not DEWA’s. It costs nothing, because the old supply keeps running until your chosen date, and it protects the one failure that actually hurts: arriving at a home with no power.
Overlap, gap and the hole
There are three timing shapes. An overlap, where both homes are live for a few days, is the comfortable one. A gap, where the new home is not live when you arrive, is the risky one. And a hole, where you set the old move-out date before your last trip, leaves you carrying boxes in the dark. Choose the old date for your final visit, not your first.
If the lease start slips, you may want to change the date. Dubizzle’s move-out coverage says a request can be tracked, cancelled or rescheduled once any amounts are paid, but we found no equivalent statement for Move-To. Call Customer Care before you cancel anything, because no source we read explains what cancelling a transfer part-way does to the deposit or the old account.
Summer and families
A power gap in July is a safety question, not an inconvenience. If you move with a baby, read our notes on handling Dubai heat with a baby, and if pets travel with you, the pet ownership guide covers heat and housing. Where a hot day with no cooling is a real possibility, a bridge night elsewhere, such as one from our hotel guide, costs less than a stressful evening in an unpowered flat.
What a DEWA move to Dubai request does not move
DEWA covers electricity and water, and that is where a DEWA move to Dubai request stops. Everything else that makes the new home work is a separate account with a separate provider, and most of them have longer lead times than DEWA does. Handle them in parallel, not after keys.
District cooling
In buildings served by a district cooling company, cooling is billed by that company, with its own deposit and its own paperwork. Emicool’s published process is the clearest one we found. For move-in, the landlord’s balance must be cleared first, the new tenant pays a deposit and processing fees, and a three-party contract is signed in hard copy or electronically. Emicool says connection follows the same day it receives the signed contract.
For move-out, you pay the bill up to the last invoice and the processing fees. Emicool says it prepares the final bill within 24 hours, deducts it from the deposit and refunds the remainder by bank transfer or account payee cheque. A dubizzle guide quotes three working days for the final bill and five days for the refund, so the published and the reported figures differ. The same guide says Empower handles settlement through its e-services portal, with a final bill within two working days and cash refunds capped at AED 5,000 by appointment.
Emicool’s page does not cover moving between its own buildings, and neither did anything else we found. If your old and new homes are both cooling customers, ask the provider which route they prefer, rather than assuming a transfer exists.
Internet and TV
Both operators offer a relocation request. The e& home-move page says you apply in the app, that the installation fee is AED 150 excluding VAT and is added to your bill, and that your account must be active with no pending requests. You take the router, set-top box and phone with you, but the optical network terminal stays because it belongs to the building. Dubizzle reports du charging around AED 100, added to a later bill.
Lead times are the catch. Dubizzle’s May 2026 guide reports one to three working days to confirm and two to five days for a technician. A building without fibre, or a different operator’s area, means a fresh application rather than a transfer, as Gulf News noted in 2023. Start the request once your Ejari exists, then align the technician visit with keys day. Our home internet guide and the wider internet and mobile guide explain the provider choice.
Ejari, the housing fee and the landlord
Ejari is yours to register for the new home and your landlord’s to cancel for the old one. The housing fee follows the new Ejari rent, which we cover in the first-bills section. The landlord’s security deposit is a private matter between you and them, covered in the move-out guide, and a clearance certificate from DEWA is the paper they commonly ask for.
Gas
Where a building has central gas, that is another separate account. We did not find a primary-source procedure we could verify for transfers, so we left prices out. Ask the building manager or landlord which provider serves the unit and what they need from you.
Cleaning and the empty-flat window
The hours between keys and furniture are the cheapest time to clean. The cleaning services guide covers licensing and booking quality, the deep cleaning guide explains what a move-in clean should include, and the sofa cleaning guide helps if you are carrying upholstery across town. Book while the DEWA request is in flight, since cleaners need working lights and water.
Your first bills after a DEWA move to Dubai transfer
A DEWA move to Dubai transfer produces two documents in quick succession: a final bill for the old home and a first bill for the new one. They are easy to confuse, particularly if both arrive by email in the same week. The first is due now. The second starts a fresh billing history at a new address, and it often carries a line that did not exist before.
The final bill for the old home
Gulf News’ August 2026 move-out explainer says the final bill is emailed and texted within 24 working hours and is due immediately. The deposit offsets it, and any shortfall is yours to pay. On a DEWA move to Dubai transfer the deposit has moved on, so expect the old home’s final bill to be settled as a payment, not netted against a refund. The older Gulf News transfer article says unpaid old amounts can roll onto the new account, but newer guides require a clean balance first, so do not plan on that rolling.
We found no source explaining whether a part-month final bill prorates the tiered electricity bands. Assume it does not, and take the meter photos described in the checklist.
The housing fee resets with the new rent
Dubai Municipality’s housing fee is reported by Bayut as 5% of annual rent, split into 12 monthly instalments on the DEWA bill. For tenants the base is the rent registered in Ejari, for owners it is the RERA average rental value, and UAE nationals are exempt. Because the new tenancy registers a new rent, this line should change.
Our calculation: moving from AED 85,000 annual rent to AED 110,000 takes the monthly housing fee line from AED 354.17 to AED 458.33. That is AED 104.17 more per month, or AED 1,250 across the year. A quick audit trick is to multiply the monthly line by 240 (twelve months divided by 5%). The answer should equal your Ejari rent. If it does not, Bayut says you can ask Dubai Municipality to amend the fee through its site or app with UAE Pass, with the change reported to take effect within three working days.
How a bigger home changes the tariff
The residential electricity tariff in Executive Council Resolution 16 of 2011 is tiered by monthly use: 23 fils per kWh up to 2,000 kWh, 28 fils from 2,001 to 4,000, 32 fils from 4,001 to 6,000 and 38 fils above that. Tiers apply to the part of the use that falls in each band, so cost rises faster than consumption once you cross 2,000 kWh.
Illustrative example (not a quote): a home using 1,800 kWh in a month pays AED 414.00 at base rates. A larger home using 2,600 kWh pays 2,000 at 23 fils and 600 at 28 fils, which is AED 628.00. Consumption is 44% higher; the energy cost is 52% higher. A fuel surcharge, set monthly by DEWA’s chief executive under the same resolution, then comes on top. Property Finder reported it at 6 fils per kWh in February 2026, which would add AED 108 and AED 156 in the two cases, but treat that rate as indicative.
Water in cubic metres
DEWA moved its water billing to cubic metres from the March 2025 billing cycle, according to the Dubai Media Office. Property Finder lists residential water at AED 7.70 per cubic metre up to 27, AED 8.80 up to 54 and AED 10.12 above. Our check: the official 3.5 fils per imperial gallon converts to roughly AED 7.70 per cubic metre, so the two sets of numbers agree. Illustrative example: 40 cubic metres costs AED 207.90 for the first 27 plus AED 114.40 for the next 13, a total of AED 322.30 before sewerage and VAT.
Sewerage is described as consumption-based, with no rate we could verify. Meter service charges are reported at AED 5 to AED 35 for electricity. VAT at 5% applies to the VAT-applicable components.
What to check on the first bill
Look for five things: your name, the new premises number, a deposit line that matches what you paid, a housing fee that fits the 240 rule, and a first reading that sits close to the one you photographed on keys day. If any of them is wrong, call Customer Care in the first billing cycle, not after three months of compounding errors.
When a DEWA move to Dubai request stalls
Most failures of a DEWA move to Dubai request are boring. A balance was not fully paid, a number was off by one digit or a channel was used that the case does not allow. Check these in order, because the earlier ones are more common and cheaper to fix.
The usual blockers
- An outstanding balance on the old account. Every guide we read says this blocks the transfer. A payment made minutes earlier may not have posted yet, so keep the receipt and try again after a short wait.
- A deposit shortfall that has not been paid. Supply at the new address is reported to start only after the deposit is covered.
- An Ejari that is not yet issued, or a premises number that does not match the unit. Re-read both against the certificate.
- The wrong channel. The phone line is for cases with no balance and no deposit change, and the DubaiNow app is for individuals only.
- An out-of-date registered mobile number, which sends the one-time code to a phone you no longer have.
- A move-out date or time entered in error. Fix it before the date, not after the old supply is cut.
When the new home has no power
If the target window has passed and the lights are still off, work backwards. Confirm payment actually went through, because the 15-working-hour clock is reported to start from payment, and a card payment that did not complete starts nothing. Check the premises number you entered against the plate at the door. Then call Customer Care. Betterhomes lists 991 for technical electricity and water issues and the main line for billing and general enquiries.
For a DEWA move to Dubai request that has been accepted but looks stuck, the order below moves from cheapest to most effortful. Use the reference number at every step, so nobody has to start again.
Betterhomes reports the Customer Care line as +971 4 601 9999, open at all hours including public holidays. It also lists Rammas, DEWA’s chatbot on the website for bill enquiries in English and Arabic. Neither is a guaranteed fix, but both leave a record, which matters if the issue later becomes a dispute about dates.
The old home does not switch off when you expect
Disconnection is due within 24 working hours of your chosen date, so a live meter the next morning is normal. What is not normal is a live meter several working days later with no confirmation. Keep your hand-over photos and the reference number, and ask Customer Care for the disconnection status. You are protecting yourself from consumption you did not cause.
A utility transfer involves a one-time code, a card payment and personal numbers, which is exactly what scammers hope to collect. Use the official DEWA website or app, type the address yourself, and never read a verification code to anyone who calls or messages you. We found no DEWA-specific fraud advisory in our 29 October check, so these are general precautions, not a DEWA statement.
Cases that need a person, not a form
Some situations do not fit the online flow cleanly: a lease in a company name, a free-zone tenancy without an Ejari, an owner moving into their own home or a property on a large meter, where the fees differ. For those, the Customer Happiness Centre is the place to settle questions. Bring identity documents, the tenancy or title paperwork, and the account number of the old home. Staff there can see the account, which no guide can.
Seven DEWA move to Dubai scenarios, worked through
These are constructed examples built from the reported rules, not case histories. Amounts use the reported deposits and our AED 250 to 300 small-meter fee range, and each one ends with the decision we would make from the evidence.
1. Flat to flat, tenant, same name
You hold a DEWA account in your own name for a one-bedroom flat, and you have signed a lease for another flat across the city. Pay the old balance, register the new Ejari, then submit a single DEWA move to Dubai request. The AED 2,000 deposit moves with you, so the only cash is the AED 250 to 300 in fees. This is the case Move-To was designed for, and it is the one we would use without hesitation.
2. Flat to villa
The new home is a villa, which needs a reported AED 4,000 deposit. Your AED 2,000 moves across and you pay the extra AED 2,000 before supply starts, so day-one cash is roughly AED 2,250 to 2,300. The phone line is out, because the deposit changes. Expect higher consumption too, because a villa is usually larger and cooled for more hours. With a tiered tariff, the first summer bill is the one to budget for.
3. Villa to flat
You are downsizing, and the surplus deposit is the unknown. Two sensible paths exist. Start a DEWA move to Dubai request, run the Calculate step and see whether a refund line appears before you pay; if it does not, stop there and ask Customer Care. Or use the separate route, where the villa’s AED 4,000 is refunded through the final bill process and the flat takes a fresh AED 2,000. If the on-screen answer is unclear, we would choose the long route for the certainty.
4. One flatmate leaves, one stays
If you are the account holder and you are leaving, a DEWA move to Dubai request would disconnect the home your flatmate still lives in. Do not use it. The flatmate should register their own tenancy and activate an account, covered in the move-in guide, while you open yours at the new address. If you are not the account holder, you have no DEWA step; the deposit conversation is between you and whoever holds it.
5. Owner moving into a bought home
An owner applies with a title deed instead of an Ejari. Dubizzle’s summary says owners receive a deposit refund only on sale, which suggests the deposit stays tied to the owner’s account as they move. If the old property is going to be rented out, the incoming tenant needs a fresh account of their own. Because owner rules differ from tenant rules, take the title deed and ask the Happiness Centre what it expects before you pay.
6. Free-zone tenant with no Ejari
Some free-zone properties are exempt from Ejari. Bayut notes that such tenants use a no-Ejari option and give the tenancy details instead, and dubizzle lists a valid tenancy contract as the document. Have the contract, the dates, the rent and the premises number ready before you start.
7. A business or company-leased home
Businesses are eligible, with a trade licence listed for non-DED customers and a deposit set by consumption, not a flat AED 2,000 or 4,000. The DubaiNow route is for individuals, so a company uses the DEWA website or app. For company housing, the account holder is often the company, which means the employee cannot simply apply. Ask HR who can sign in, and ask DEWA what authorisation it wants from the company.
Mistakes to avoid and the final checklist
Most of the avoidable errors share a pattern: treating the DEWA step as the last item on the list, when it is one of the few with a hard dependency on other documents. Here are the ones that cost people time or money in the sources we read.
- Submitting before the new Ejari exists, then discovering the form cannot proceed.
- Leaving a small old bill unpaid and being blocked at the last step.
- Setting the old move-out date for the first day of packing, not the last trip.
- Using the phone line for a flat-to-villa move, which it cannot handle because the deposit changes.
- Assuming a villa-to-flat move returns the surplus deposit without seeing it on screen.
- Closing the old account while a flatmate or family member still lives there.
- Forgetting that cooling, internet and gas run separately, and booking them after keys day.
- Skipping meter photos at both homes, then arguing about a reading from memory.
- Reading a verification code out to a caller who says they are from a utility.
The pre-flight checklist for a DEWA move to Dubai request
- Old DEWA balance at zero and the contract account number to hand.
- New Ejari issued, with the number and the nine-digit premises number copied from the certificate and the door.
- Registered mobile number up to date, and UAE Pass or DEWA ID working.
- Move-out date set to your last visit, with at least three working days before keys day, five if a holiday is near.
- Deposit position understood: nothing, a top-up or an unknown surplus.
- A card ready for roughly AED 300 in fees, plus any top-up.
- Reference number screenshotted and filed with the tenancy papers.
- Meter photos taken on keys day at the new home and on hand-over day at the old one.
- Internet, cooling and gas requests in motion, with dates that match keys day.
- Final bill paid on arrival, clearance certificate saved and sent to your landlord if they ask.
The bottom line
Use a DEWA move to Dubai request when one person holds both homes, the old balance is clear and the deposit either matches or needs only a top-up. Use the longer route when names differ, someone stays behind or a surplus deposit is in play. Submit at least three working days early, treat every DEWA figure here as reported until your screen says otherwise, and remember the money saved is the float, not the fee.
DEWA move to Dubai: frequently asked questions
What does a DEWA move to Dubai request actually do?
It is DEWA’s Move-To service. One application ends your electricity and water supply at the old address on a chosen date, starts supply at the new address and moves your security deposit to the new account. It works only between two premises in Dubai. Anyone arriving with no existing DEWA account, or leaving the emirate, uses move-in or move-out instead.
Is a DEWA move to Dubai request only for moves inside Dubai?
Yes. DEWA supplies Dubai, and the service is described as a transfer between two Dubai premises. If you are moving to Abu Dhabi or Sharjah, close the Dubai account with a move-out request and open a new account with the utility serving the other emirate. If you are arriving in Dubai for the first time, you need a new account, not a transfer.
How much does a DEWA move to Dubai transfer cost?
Guides disagree on the small-meter charge, quoting AED 100, 112.50 or 125 for each of the two sides. Add the knowledge, innovation and registration fees and our arithmetic gives about AED 250 to 300 for small meters and AED 650 for large meters, before VAT. DEWA’s own screen shows the exact total before you pay, and that figure overrides anything written here.
Do I pay a new security deposit in a DEWA move to Dubai request?
Not in full. Your existing deposit moves to the new account. If the new home requires more, reported as AED 2,000 for a flat and AED 4,000 for a villa, you pay the difference. If the new home needs less, the guides we read do not explain what happens to the surplus, so check the calculation screen or ask Customer Care before paying.
How long does a DEWA move to Dubai transfer take?
Reported targets are 15 working hours after payment for supply at the new home, and 24 working hours after your chosen date for disconnection at the old one. DEWA’s definition of working hours was not available to us. Our planning advice is to submit at least three working days before keys day, and five when a weekend or public holiday is involved.
Do I need an Ejari for a DEWA move to Dubai request?
Tenants outside free zones need a valid Ejari for the new home, and the number goes into the request. Owners apply with a title deed, free-zone tenants with a tenancy contract and businesses with a trade licence, according to dubizzle’s summary of the DEWA guide. The Ejari costs AED 177.75 through the Dubai REST app or DLD website, or AED 220 at a trustee centre.
Can I make a DEWA move to Dubai request by phone or through DubaiNow?
Both exist with limits. The DEWA Customer Care IVR works only when there is no balance and no deposit change. The DubaiNow app is for individuals, not companies. The DEWA website and Smart App handle every case, and Bayut says a Customer Happiness Centre can take the same details in person.
What if I still owe money on the old account?
You cannot complete a DEWA move to Dubai request until it is paid. Every guide we read says the same, and the form shows outstanding amounts on its Calculate step. Pay through the usual DEWA payment channels, keep the receipt, and return to the application. An older Gulf News article suggested unpaid amounts could roll onto the new account, but do not count on that.
Does a DEWA move to Dubai request also transfer district cooling, gas and internet?
No. District cooling, central gas, internet and TV are separate accounts with separate providers. Emicool, for example, publishes its own move-in and move-out process, and e& offers a Home Move request in its app. Start those requests in parallel with DEWA, not after you collect the keys, because technician visits and contract signing take longer.
Will my Dubai Municipality housing fee change after the move?
Probably, if your rent changes. The fee is reported as 5% of annual rent, using the Ejari rent for tenants, charged in 12 monthly instalments on the DEWA bill. UAE nationals are exempt. Multiply the monthly line by 240 to check that it matches your rent, and ask Dubai Municipality to amend it if it does not.
Where do I get the clearance certificate for the old home?
Dubizzle’s summary says DEWA emails a clearance certificate for the old premises to your registered email after the final bill is settled. Gulf News describes the same certificate being issued automatically and shared with RERA in the linked Ejari process. Landlords often ask for it before releasing a security deposit, so save a copy when it arrives.
Related reading
Sources and further reading (23 links)
- DEWA: Transfer of Electricity/Water (Move-to) service guide — official service page for fees, timing and deposit rules; it could not be opened in our check, so reported figures come from the guides below
- DEWA: Activation of Electricity/Water (Move-in) service guide — official companion page for new accounts; same limitation
- Dubai Land Department: Register or renew a tenancy contract (Ejari) — Ejari channels, fees, documents and conditions
- Dubai Land Department: Terminate or cancel a tenancy contract (Ejari) — how the old Ejari is cancelled
- Dubai Legislation Portal: Executive Council Resolution No. 16 of 2011 — residential electricity and water tariff bands and the fuel surcharge mechanism
- Dubai Media Office: DEWA adopts the cubic metre for water — the change of water billing unit and the customer care number
- Emicool: Move-out and move-in process (PDF) — district cooling move-in and move-out steps
- e&: Home move — internet and TV relocation request, fee and equipment notes
- dubizzle: How to transfer your DEWA account in Dubai — secondary guide summarising the DEWA Move-To rules, fees and timing
- dubizzle: All about Transfer of Electricity/Water (Move-to) in Dubai — secondary guide, eligibility, documents and pitfalls
- Bayut: How to transfer DEWA and move your account in Dubai — secondary guide, Move-To steps, deposit and Ejari notes
- Bayut: DEWA disconnection and transfer guide — secondary guide, Move-To inputs and fee version
- Bayut: Dubai Municipality housing fee — housing fee rate, billing and amendment route
- Property Finder: DEWA Move-To account transfer — secondary guide, channels, fees and payment options
- Property Finder: DEWA frequently asked questions — premises number, deposit and fee notes
- Property Finder: DEWA calculator — metric water rates, fuel surcharge and meter charge as reported
- Gulf News: Shifting homes in Dubai, how to transfer electricity and water supply — step-by-step online process and background on the service
- Gulf News: How to deactivate DEWA when moving out of a Dubai home — disconnection timing, final bill and clearance certificate
- Gulf News: Moving to a new home within Dubai, electricity, water, TV and internet — internet and TV transfer notes
- Engel & Völkers: DEWA new connection — activation fees, deposits and the 15 working hours target
- Betterhomes: A complete guide to setting up your DEWA account — Happiness Centre and Customer Care contact details
- dubizzle: How to discontinue district cooling in Dubai — Empower and Emicool cancellation timings as reported
- dubizzle: How to transfer your internet connection to a new home — relocation lead times and fees
Update log: 29 October 2026 — first publication; facts checked against the sources above. Next review due: April 2027, or sooner if DEWA changes the Move-To fees, deposit or process. Corrections welcome. This page is general information, not legal or financial advice.
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