The UAE Monthly Bills Calculator gives you a realistic DEWA bill estimate before you sign a tenancy contract. In the UAE, electricity and water are billed by your emirate’s utility — DEWA in Dubai, ADDC in Abu Dhabi, SEWA in Sharjah and FEWA in the northern emirates — each with its own tariff slabs. Pick your options below for a realistic monthly estimate in dirhams.
Your electricity and water bill in Dubai depends on far more than the headline tariff. DEWA uses rising slab rates, so heavy air-conditioning use in summer pushes consumption into the expensive upper slabs — which is why bills can easily double between January and August. Dubai tenants also pay a housing fee of 5% of annual rent through their DEWA bill, a charge newcomers rarely expect.
The calculator combines your housing type, air-conditioning habits and emirate to estimate electricity, water, housing fee, fuel surcharges and VAT in one monthly figure. Use it to compare the running costs of a studio versus a villa, or Dubai versus Abu Dhabi, before you commit. Planning the full budget? Check your visa costs and moving volume too.
Part of your MoveWise UAE relocation budget — every dirham of your move, planned.
UAE Monthly Bills (DEWA) Estimator
Electricity + water + housing fee — estimated for your home and habits.
For more detail, see our guide on DEWA new connection costs.
Monthly bills FAQs
How is my DEWA bill calculated?
DEWA uses rising slab tariffs: electricity costs 23–38 fils per kWh across four monthly slabs, plus a fuel surcharge (6 fils per kWh in October 2026). Water costs AED 7.70–10.12 per m³ across three slabs, plus a fuel surcharge of AED 1.10 per m³. A small meter charge and 5% VAT are added, and Dubai tenants also pay a housing fee.
What is the housing fee on my DEWA bill?
In Dubai, tenants pay a housing fee equal to 5% of their annual rent, billed monthly through DEWA. For example, a home renting at AED 85,000 a year adds about AED 354 a month to the bill. Other emirates do not bill a housing fee this way.
Why is my bill so much higher in summer?
Air conditioning. In a typical home, cooling is the biggest electricity user by far, and heavy AC use pushes your consumption into the higher, more expensive slabs — so summer bills can easily double winter ones.
Do other emirates use the same tariffs as DEWA?
No. Abu Dhabi (ADDC), Sharjah (SEWA) and the northern emirates (FEWA) each publish their own electricity and water slabs and charges. This estimator applies typical residential rates for each utility.
How can I keep my utility bills down?
Set the thermostat to 24°C, service the AC regularly, switch to LED lighting, fix dripping taps and run the washing machine on full loads. Small habits matter because the slab system rewards lower consumption.
Are these exact tariff figures?
DEWA’s residential slabs and fuel surcharge are published figures, checked October 2026. Other utilities’ rates are typical residential averages. Your actual bill depends on your tariff class, meter type and season — treat the estimate as a planning guide.