Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) will send electronic “green bills” to all its customers by the end of the second quarter of 2015, and stop sending paper bills. The move supports DEWA’s efforts to enhance its services, keep the environment, and give a chance to its customers to adopt to electronic transformation.
DEWA says using its electronic and smart services helped eliminate 11,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2013 as a result of DEWA’s customers conducting 3.3 million transactions online and through the smart app.
This amount of carbon dioxide is the equivalent amount that could have resulted from customers travelling to and from DEWA offices. This equates to planting 56,331 trees in an area equivalent to 106 football fields.
Currently, DEWA sends more than 550,000 electronic bills monthly to its customers. As of 1 September 2014, a total of 218,020 customers opted to receive the green bill and stop receiving paper bills. DEWA first launched the green bill, its electronic invoicing system, in August 2012.
“Adopting the green bill and discounting the paper bills supports the Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative launched by His Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The step also supports DEWA’s vision to become a sustainable world-class utility,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.
“DEWA’s electronic invoicing system adopts the latest global technologies in this field. This initiative supports government efforts to keep natural resources for generations to come. The move also helps upgrade DEWA’s services to the highest international standards. Customers who register in the green bill can check, request, and pay their bills anytime and from anywhere in the world. The system keeps a record of customers’ bills and the amounts they paid online,” added Al Tayer.
DEWA has urged its customers who haven’t opted for the green bill yet to register or update their email addresses to avoid any inconvenience that might happen if they don’t receive their bills. Customers can register through DEWA’s website (www.dewa.gov.ae), smart app, or by sending an SMS to 4488 including customers’ contract accounts and their email addresses. New customers can also opt for the green bill when they fill out the ‘Move-in’ form.
The green bill is an electronic version of the traditional paper bill and is sent to customers via email the moment the monthly invoice is issued. Implementing the green bill system helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 193.3 tonnes annually. Many federal and local government organisations in Dubai have already registered in the green bill. Some major private companies have also chosen to stop receiving paper bills.
To encourage its customers to register for the green bill and be part of its efforts to keep the environment, DEWA has launched a weekly raffle draw where a customer who has registered for the green bill receives a Galaxy Note III. A grand-prize winner will receive a Samsung smart TV.
DEWA urged its customers to adopt its electronic and smart services including the green bill, in order to save them time and efforts and support its efforts to protect the environment.
Source : WAM News Agency for United Arab Emirates
