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Direct-debit payment for DEWA bills

Consumers will soon be able to automatically deduct their utility bill amount from their bank accounts every month, a senior DEWA official said on Tuesday.

Marwan Salem bin Haider, Vice-President and CIO of the DEWA, said the Dubai government-owned utility company was in talks with banks to make available the automated-direct payment facility through customers’ bank accounts. This service automatically deducts the DEWA bill amount from accounts every month.

The authority said it had activated the service through five banks, namely Emirates NBD, First Gulf Bank, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Ajman Bank and Emirates Islamic Bank. The DEWA said it intended to extend this service to all its customers through all operating banks in the UAE.

Saeed Mohamed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of the DEWA, said the authority was talking to other banks on the automated-debit service. “The service enables DEWA’s customers to pay their fees through the banks’ electronic channels and allows the automatic transfer of funds to the customers’ accounts at DEWA, and thus serves to immediately update their accounts,” he noted.

Elaborating, Haider said customers of the banks providing the facility would now be assured that their online payment of utility bills were updated immediately in the DEWA’s system as well. “There are already 23 banks that accept utility bill payment through their websites. But, it would take at least a day to update such payment details in the DEWA’s system. With the direct-debit payment service, it will be done in real time, instantly once you make the payment,” he said.

To avail the service, the DEWA customers having accounts in these five banks will have to register their DEWA account details on the banks’ websites. Once their account details have been verified, they can make payment of water and electricity bills, which also include housing fees, through these online accounts.

“We are working with a few prominent banks for automatic direct banking services as well. It will be launched at least in one leading bank in two months’ time and others will follow,” Haider said. This service will help registered users to make automatic payment of their utility bills on a fixed day.

Customers still have the option of using credit cards to make online bill payments through www.dewa.gov.ae. They can also make payments through ATM machines, teller counters and tele-banking services of various banks.

Moreover, DEWA provides regular payment channels through its offices from 7:30 am to 8 pm, except Fridays. Payment is also possible through ENOC and EPPCO petrol stations, Emirates Post Offices, etisalat payment machines, mpay through mpay.dubai.ae, and via smart phone applications. — sajila@khaleejtimes.com