HOW TO SAVE ON YOUR DEWA BILL

How to save on your DEWA Bill

DEWA Saving Tips

Love them or loathe them, we all need to deal with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and pay for what we consume. Think smart however, and there are certainly ways to save on your power and water usage, which not only do your pocket a favour but the environment too. Dubai after all, and perhaps not surprisingly, has some of the highest levels of water and electricity consumption in the world.

So what can you do to slash your water and electricity consumption… and in doing so save on your monthly bills?

Here are our top tips:
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INDOORS

• Unplug TV’s, DVD players, stereos and computers when not in use as they consume power even when turned off. If you’re going to be away from the computer for an hour and you turn it off, the power you will save in that time is equivalent to the energy required to power one 14-watt compact fluorescent lamp for 24 hours!
• Turn your refrigerator down. Refrigerators account for around 20% of household electricity use, more than all your other kitchen appliances combined. Most have temperature settings labeled 1-5 or 1-9, with freezers sometimes labeled A-E. The best setting is usually around 3 and 4. If your settings are letters A-E then B or C should be suitable. Or if working to temperatures, set the temp to 36-38 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer to 0-5 degrees Fahrenheit and keep the coils at the bottom and back clean. Finally, keep the door closed as much as possible.
• Turn off the air con before leaving the house and close the blinds and doors of rooms not in use to make it easier for your a/c to maintain cool temperatures.
• Cook, when possible, with the lid on. Your food will cook more quickly and use less power. Also, turn off the stove or oven a few minutes before your food is done and let the built-up heat finish the job for you.

OUTDOORS

• If you have a garden, consider installing an irrigation system instead of manually watering your grass. You could also plant desert-friendly trees. Date palms for example, provide great shade and require little water, thereby directly saving your hard-earned dirhams!
• Use solar lights in outdoor areas as they absorb the sun’s energy during the day and run for free at night. ACE Hardware on SZR has a stunning range of options including path and step lighting, patio, driveway and pond lighting.
• Water plants wisely by grouping plants with the same watering needs together to avoid overwatering some and under watering others. Also, water your lawns in the evening when temperatures are cooler to minimise evaporation.
• Check water levels in your pool and backwash your pool’s filter every two weeks to reduce pump backpressure and energy consumption.

LIGHTING

‍• Phase out conventional light bulbs and switch to energy-efficient bulbs. Whilst they cost more to buy, they certainly save money in the long run by using only a quarter the energy of an ordinary incandescent bulb and last eight to 12 times longer.

WASHING

• Try not to switch on your dishwasher until full and use the energy saving setting if available. Most machines even allow you to switch off the drying cycle manually, allowing the dishes to air dry and saving substantial power usage in doing so.
• Try to amass a full load before switching on your washing machine. Use cold water or an energy saving setting if you can, and if a partial load is absolutely necessary, at least ensure you select the half load option on the machine settings.
• Air dry clothing as much as possible as tumble dryers are power hungry beasts! No excuses here in Dubai, what with our sunny skies and hot temps. Your clothing will last a lot longer too!

TOILET TALK

• Fix running, leaky toilets; a common problem in Dubai apartments and fixed in minutes by your buildings maintenence guys. 
A leaky toilet wastes about 500 gallons of water each day so is a big drain on your wallet!

You see, it takes just a few small changes and you’ll reap the dividends over a year’s worth of bills… we just hope the savings aren’t put straight towards the purchase of more energy-hungry gadgets. These, we have quite enough of in Dubai!