Best 6 projects for buying apartments in Abu Dhabi
Connecting to the water and electricity supply in the UAE is an essential activity, regardless of whether you buy or rent your property. In the emirate of Dubai this is handled by the state service DEWA, and in Abu Dhabi the connection to electricity and water is carried out by The Abu Dhabi Distribution Company, ADDC, which will be explained below. This article contains detailed information about ADDC services, the rules for activating an online ADDC account and paying for utility supplies, the documents that you will need, and key ADDC initiatives.
The Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) is a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA). ADDC in Abu Dhabi is a partner of DEWA in Dubai and the main function of the organisation is to ensure an uninterrupted water and electricity supply to residents in the UAE capital. ADDC also provides assistance to residents and commercial organizations in the emirate when creating ADDC accounts, as well as when paying utility bills for water and electricity consumption.
ADDC plans, controls, maintains and owns network distribution assets in Abu Dhabi. The company not only interacts directly with its customers but also uses its technical experience and modern solutions to serve them. The organization provides a regular water and electricity supply to more than 600,000 service points. Municipal services are supplied through an intelligent and sustainable distribution network.
ADDC began its operations in 1998 and since then, ADDC’s ambition has been to provide world-class utility services to all its customers residing in the emirate. As part of this commitment, an essential milestone has been identified to accelerate the digital transformation and increase its supply of electronic services. Innovation and continuous development are top priorities for the management of the organisation. An extensive stable network provides electricity to offices, hotels, homes, entertainment centers and so on.
The Department of Energy (DOE) supervises the quality of services provided by ADDC. Due to the DOE’s robust management, all standards for consistent water and electricity supply are maintained, and all criteria for environmental protection, safety and health are met.
ADDC’s strategic goals include creating a reasonable and streamlined distribution network that provides and delivers services efficiently based on the needs of its users. To achieve these strategic goals, the following values were identified:
The list of services offered by ADDC includes the following:
In addition, the DOE announced a new governance framework for charging electric vehicles (EVs) in Abu Dhabi. An EV Charging Tariff for the emirate came into effect on August 26, 2021. Currently, all EV charger owners living in Abu Dhabi are required to pay a flat monthly fee of AED 92 (USD 25) until a meter is installed. Once the meter for the charger is installed, the monthly charge will be based on actual electricity consumption and the flat rate will be 30 fils (USD 0.082) per kilowatt-hour.
All EV charger owners must register their chargers to avoid non-compliance. You can register your EV charger on the official ADDC website.
Note: As an incentive after registration, the distribution company offers to pay the cost of installing the meter. This offer is valid if you apply before December 31, 2021.
The consumer must apply to ADDC for energy and water services in and around Abu Dhabi. Tenants registered with Tawtheeq are automatically registered with ADDC and receive their bills automatically. If the property owner or tenant lives outside of the Tawtheeq coverage area, a prior application must be made to relocate and reconnect the utilities. Regardless of the type of property (residential or commercial), you can register to create and activate an ADDC account online on the ADDC website or at one of the organization’s branches.
Tawtheeq is a special system through which the government can regulate real estate leases in Abu Dhabi and ensure transparency between landlords and tenants. This system was approved in the emirate in 2011. A Tawtheeq in Abu Dhabi must be registered each time a new lease is signed. This registration process falls largely on either the property owners or a real estate agent in Abu Dhabi, which is quite different from the Ejari system in Dubai, where the tenant is largely responsible for the registration.
On registration, you will need to provide the required list of documents, or in the case of online registration, color scans of them, as well as make an advance payment (deposit) of AED 1,000 (USD 272). This amount will be included in your ADDC account and when you move, you can either get the deposit back or transfer it to your new residence address in Abu Dhabi.
Once your ADDC account has been successfully established, you will receive a text message on your phone or an email notification. If this does not happen, after activating your account, it is worthwhile contacting the ADDC Help Desk at 800 2332 or sending an email to ADDC.
Next, to activate your online account you need to enter your ADDC account number or your Emirate ID number on the official ADDC website. After that you will receive a message with a pin code to access your utility management system.
On registration, you will need to provide the required list of documents, or in the case of online registration, color scans of them, as well as make an advance payment (deposit) of AED 1,000 (USD 272). This amount will be included in your ADDC account and when you move, you can either get the deposit back or transfer it to your new residence address in Abu Dhabi.
Once your ADDC account has been successfully established, you will receive a text message on your phone or an email notification. If this does not happen, after activating your account, it is worthwhile contacting the ADDC Help Desk at 800 2332 or sending an email to ADDC.
Next, to activate your online account you need to enter your ADDC account number or your Emirate ID number on the official ADDC website. After that you will receive a message with a pin code to access your utility management system.
To register and create an ADDC account, residential tenants must provide the following documents:
The package of documents for property owners:
Note: For commercial premises, in addition to all of the above documents, you will also need to provide the premises ID and the address of the property or the leased premises.
Previously the Account Closing Letter was known as a Clearance Certificate. To obtain a copy of this document, one should contact the last occupant of the real estate or the landlord.
As for rates, they depend on many factors, including the type of property and your background (local/expat). Rates are divided into 2 categories: Green Lane (at a lower rate) and Red Lane (at a higher rate). If the utility usage limit is exceeded, the Red Lane rate is automatically included.
The cost of utilities for apartments:
Cost of utilities for villas:
The easiest way to inform ADDC about your moving out is to apply online. In most cases, the entire process takes 2-4 days. To close an account for real estate online, the customer has to inform ADDC about the date of the account closing and the preferred way to refund the deposit. Then the customer may pay the final bill online when it is ready and download the Account Closing Letter immediately. The online application can be done on ADDC website.
The customer also can call the company on 800 2332 or visit one of the ADDC branches in order to start the process of closing an ADDC account for a property. It is necessary to have an Emirates ID card and a recent bill with the customer’s ADDC account number when calling the organisation or visiting a selected branch. Please, use the ADDC Branch Finder in order to find the nearest available one, because not all ADDC branches offer this service. The customer has to inform the organisation about the moving out date, decide the way to refund the deposit and pay the final bill when it will be ready in order to get an Account Closing Letter.
When closing the ADDC account for property, customers can transfer the money to another ADDC property account, get a refund at his/her bank (IBAN number will be required) or donate it to Emirates Red Crescent.
Customers can pay ADDC bill in the following ways:
The ADDC organisation has several initiatives such as Tarsheed, Direct Debit Improvements and Istimrar. All these programmes are aimed at improving the quality of services and caring for the environment.
Tarsheed is an integrated program aimed at saving water and electricity consumption in Abu Dhabi. The main goal of the program is to reduce the level of water and electricity consumption per capita by 20% in the emirate by 2030. The Tarsheed program was launched in 2017 by ADDC and AADC. In addition, the ADDC launched the “Residential Water Leak Detection and Alert” program within the Tarsheed framework, which will help reduce water wastage in future.
ADDC launched this initiative in order to give customers extra days to pay their bills. Consumers will have a five days’ grace period, and after the expiry of that period, the money will be deducted from their accounts via direct debit. The service will be available from March 2021 onwards.
Istimrar is the automatic payment of water and electricity bills service. This is done with the use of direct debit through the customer’s bank account in cooperation with the UAE Central Bank. The Istimrar initiative not only increases the effectiveness of payment, but also helps to reduce the cost of collecting payments.
In case of complaints and questions regarding your water and energy supply, billing, payment or any other issues, consumers can call ADDC contact number: 800-2332.
The ADDC organization offers a comprehensive Induction Program for new employees, career opportunities for technical and non-technical staff and an internship scheme for students. All job vacancies are posted online.
To do this, the customer should log into his/her online ADDC account and download the electricity bill.
To transfer an ADDC account, you will need documents such as a letter of appointment from the contractor, a certificate of competency from the consumer’s contractor, and a commitment from the contractor to transfer their electrical service. (The last document must be sent to ADDC for further approval, only then will your application be considered).
The ptransfer procedure of an ADDC account includes the following:
There is no fee to transfer your electrical service.
The UAE launched various initiatives for sustainable development and the conservation of the environment. The country uses clean energy and always tries to seek eco-friendly solutions to meet the increasing demand for water and electricity in the state.
According to the objectives of the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, the use of clean energy in the country should constitute 50% of the total energy use. Types of renewable energy in the UAE include solar, hydro and wind energy.
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