# Dewa Problem Advice Needed



## R_Smithy (Jun 13, 2010)

I would really appreciate some feedback on this situation. I have got a problem with DEWA. I have an apartment in Dubai that I lease out. 
End July 2010 tenant moves out pays DEWA Bill in full.
Sept 2010 new tenat moves in and open up DEWA Account. This tenant moves out in Sept 2011 and pays the DEWA bill in full. The next tenant tries to open up DEWA Account and was told that there is a few thousand AED owed on the account. When I get a printout of the money owed, its dated during the period when the apartment was empty between July 2010-Sept 2010.
Has anyone experienced problems like this previously,also I thought the previous account had to be settled in full before the next account was opened. If this is the case, how could this amount be applied when the apartment was empty.


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

When the tenant moved out in July 2010 they should have requested it be disconnected and then the new tenant would have paid for the re-connection charge when he registered the DEWA in his name.
If it had not been disconnected and the air con left running there is your bill.
I would go to DEWA to sort it out, but if they argue it is right you will probably have to pay it.


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## R_Smithy (Jun 13, 2010)

wandabug said:


> When the tenant moved out in July 2010 they should have requested it be disconnected and then the new tenant would have paid for the re-connection charge when he registered the DEWA in his name.
> If it had not been disconnected and the air con left running there is your bill.
> I would go to DEWA to sort it out, but if they argue it is right you will probably have to pay it.


HI Wandabug, Its was disconnected and the new tenant re-connected it.


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## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

Housing fee then?


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

If it was disconnected I'd go down there and fight it.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Do you have a copy of the final bill stamped paid in full? Local landlords will not refund accommodation security deposits till they receive a copy. As a landlord, you really should be asking for this, DEWA do make mistakes and you are right that they should not have opened the account again, but it does happen. We have just taken a new lease at work. We went with the landlord's representative to transfer the account. The representative paid the bill, cleared everything and we opened our account. We have now received a bill for Dhs. 800 after less than a week of taking the accommodation. Clearly, it isn't for our account and the representative has taken responsibility for it and will resolve the matter, but it does prove DEWA does make mistakes. Also, I cannot remember exactly when but DEWA changed systems overnight and they didn't run them parallel, they just shut one down and started another and that caused a lot of problems for a long time - might be worth trying to find out as that could have caused your problem.


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## R_Smithy (Jun 13, 2010)

BedouGirl said:


> Do you have a copy of the final bill stamped paid in full? Local landlords will not refund accommodation security deposits till they receive a copy. As a landlord, you really should be asking for this, DEWA do make mistakes and you are right that they should not have opened the account again, but it does happen. We have just taken a new lease at work. We went with the landlord's representative to transfer the account. The representative paid the bill, cleared everything and we opened our account. We have now received a bill for Dhs. 800 after less than a week of taking the accommodation. Clearly, it isn't for our account and the representative has taken responsibility for it and will resolve the matter, but it does prove DEWA does make mistakes. Also, I cannot remember exactly when but DEWA changed systems overnight and they didn't run them parallel, they just shut one down and started another and that caused a lot of problems for a long time - might be worth trying to find out as that could have caused your problem.


Thanks for the info. Yes I have got all the final DEWA bills from all tenants, thats why I cant work out where the charge is from. I am hoping they have made a mistake.


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## Bigjimbo (Oct 28, 2010)

R_Smithy said:


> Thanks for the info. Yes I have got all the final DEWA bills from all tenants, thats why I cant work out where the charge is from. I am hoping they have made a mistake.


I have to deal with this all the time and I have never made DEWA change their mind. I chalk it up as an unofficial expat tax.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Hope so for you too - just make sure they are the stamped 'paid' ones.


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## R_Smithy (Jun 13, 2010)

Bigjimbo said:


> I have to deal with this all the time and I have never made DEWA change their mind. I chalk it up as an unofficial expat tax.


I sort of knew I would be up against. Trying to resolve situations like this in Dubai is a nightmare.


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## M.A.K (Sep 14, 2011)

As far as my dealings with DEWA go and that of my colleagues they have been quite reasonable and I work as a Real Estate Agent so i have to deal with them quite often. What could have happened is that DEWA has charged you for housing fee (which is 5% of annual rent divided into 12 monthly payments and in case ur rental agreement is not registered with DEWA then probably an avg of tht specific area and unit type... a higher avg). 

In any case do visit DEWA and sort this out in person


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## sanjaysm (Sep 23, 2011)

*Dewa Issues*



R_Smithy said:


> Thanks for the info. Yes I have got all the final DEWA bills from all tenants, thats why I cant work out where the charge is from. I am hoping they have made a mistake.


I had something similar, moved in an apartment 6months ago, while checking the place, watchman showed me and others the apartment using electricity so when reconnecting and paying connection charges, mentioned this point to the Dewa staff that inspite of electrcity being disconnected, I was shown the place by watchman who possibly was doing something wrong and am afraid all this display costs would be billed to me. I was told no way as they will take a new reading and bill the difference to the landlord. Now every month I am paying 300-400 extra bill with a smaller apartment than before also in Dubai, same family members, same electrical devices excluding the housing fee. Dewa says meter reading is correct, got equipments checked, wiring checked all ok. Not able to find gap. Read many tweets complaining about high bills, what is wrong?


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## M.A.K (Sep 14, 2011)

sanjaysm said:


> I had something similar, moved in an apartment 6months ago, while checking the place, watchman showed me and others the apartment using electricity so when reconnecting and paying connection charges, mentioned this point to the Dewa staff that inspite of electrcity being disconnected, I was shown the place by watchman who possibly was doing something wrong and am afraid all this display costs would be billed to me. I was told no way as they will take a new reading and bill the difference to the landlord. Now every month I am paying 300-400 extra bill with a smaller apartment than before also in Dubai, same family members, same electrical devices excluding the housing fee. Dewa says meter reading is correct, got equipments checked, wiring checked all ok. Not able to find gap. Read many tweets complaining about high bills, what is wrong?


Sorry to hear that.. which exact charges are high.. water, electricity or both?


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## R_Smithy (Jun 13, 2010)

Thanks for the replies. Sanjaysm sorry to hear you have got DEWA problem to. I have just found out the money is owed by Nakheel from the original account when the apartment was built and the amount has accumulated up to a few thousand dirham. Nakheel are a nightmare to deal with, its going to be a miracle getting them to pay it.


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## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

and the reality of the matter is you will pay for it so you can rent the place out and then you can spend the next few months (years) wasting your time for reimbursement.


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## Hina (Jan 25, 2012)

I need someone to guide in this complicated issue ..

my friend owns apartment in jlt there is dewa dispute on the apartment which is not getting sorted out from a long time as developer company has been shut down n there's huge prehandover bill and dewa account still under developers name
They are not ready to transfer to my friends name until bill is cleared half of the bill has been waived off they agreed it was due to wrong meter reading but still left with big amount which my friend cannot afford to pay as the bill is not affordable and it had come before handover she is communicating with them that rest payment also due to wrong meter reading as nobody was living in the apartment before handover but then there is no proper answers every time they forward the case for inspection

There has been a delay from the both side dewa and developer ,they have put the case on dispute say will not disconnect the electricity until matter is solved and repeatedly then disconnects and she has to call up dewa to reconnect as tenant suffering gets mad and threat to leave the apartment every time ..

Don’t know what is the solution and seems this matter is never ending.


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## Kawasutra (May 2, 2011)

Hina said:


> I need someone to guide in this complicated issue ..
> 
> my friend owns apartment in jlt there is dewa dispute on the apartment which is not getting sorted out from a long time as developer company has been shut down n there's huge prehandover bill and dewa account still under developers name
> They are not ready to transfer to my friends name until bill is cleared half of the bill has been waived off they agreed it was due to wrong meter reading but still left with big amount which my friend cannot afford to pay as the bill is not affordable and it had come before handover she is communicating with them that rest payment also due to wrong meter reading as nobody was living in the apartment before handover but then there is no proper answers every time they forward the case for inspection
> ...


I heard from a lot of people which are renting or owning property especially from Nakheel, that suddenly hughe sums are appearing into their DEWA accounts. 
In most cases no one can explaine where these consumption is comming from and the related meter readings are very dodgy.
It seems that Nakheel together with DEWA is trying to squeeze money out of the tenants or landlords pockets in a very inappropriate manner.
I assume the only solution will be to take a lawyer and drag them to court!


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## R_Smithy (Jun 13, 2010)

Kawasutra said:


> I heard from a lot of people which are renting or owning property especially from Nakheel, that suddenly hughe sums are appearing into their DEWA accounts.
> In most cases no one can explaine where these consumption is comming from and the related meter readings are very dodgy.
> It seems that Nakheel together with DEWA is trying to squeeze money out of the tenants or landlords pockets in a very inappropriate manner.
> I assume the only solution will be to take a lawyer and drag them to court!


Be careful going down the Lawyer route, most Lawyers are as dodgy as Nakheel and Dewa.


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## murraybiscuit (Nov 15, 2011)

our landlady got a nice little surprise when we went to open up our dewa bill a fortnight back. they also blamed it on the "change in systems" a while back. it wasn't too much thank goodness. certainly not enough to keep driving to dewa hq for.


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