Card users to pay 1.7% extra to Fewa

The Federal Electricity and Water Authority (Fewa) will charge an additional 1.7 per cent from customers who want to pay their power and water bills through banks or by using credit cards.

Fewa officials confirmed to Emirates Business that the charge will come into effect from this month onwards. "Banks charge us to process the bill payment using their network. We are passing on this cost to the consumers," said a Fewa official. Recently, the Authority signed an agreement with Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) to facilitate electricity and water bill payments through the bank's available facilities.

The agreement allows Fewa customers to make payment through various channels, including telephones. Fewa is likely to sign similar pacts with other banks. The Authority has also signed an agreement with Emirates Post to facilitate bill payments through 95 Emirates Post offices in different emirates.

In Dubai, consumers have facilities to make Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) bill payments through the internet. Major banks in Dubai accept Dewa bill payments.

Fewa is cracking down on customers who make false declarations about the type of their premises in their applications to pay lower connection charges and get the benefit of lower tariffs. It is also planning to disconnect water and electricity from buildings abandoned for more than five years.

The electricity slabs for residential consumption are 20 fils for 1 to 2000 Kilowatt Hour (KwH), 24 fils for 2001 to 4000 KwH, 28 fils for 4001 to 6000 KwH, and 33 fils for the 6001 KwH plus slab. The same structure also applies for commercial use, but for industrial use the tariff is 33 fils per 10,001 KwH.

For government establishments, the tariff is 20 fils for 1to10,000 KwH, and 33 fils for the 10,001 plus slab. For temporary connections a flat rate of 40 fils per KwH is charged. Water slabs for residential users is 3 fils per gallon for 1 to 6000 gallons, 3.5 fils per gallon for 6001 to 12,000 gallons, and 4 fils per gallon for the 12,001-plus gallons slab. For industrial use also the maximum tariff is 4 fils.

Dewa will charge 1.62 per cent to 1.69 per cent of the bill from customers who make the payment through credit cards at the cash counters of the authority. If the payment is made through the Dewa website using a credit card, the company does not charge anything extra. In the case of customers paying through banks, the additional charges are decided by the respective banks themselves.

Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa), too, allows its customers who are registered users of its website to make electronic payments through the website with no additional charges.

The Sewa e-Pay is available only to registered online users and holders of Visa and MasterCards.

The Sewa online payment does not accept part payments and Sewa will be charging 2.5 per cent of the outstanding bill amount from such customers.

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