Never forget to pay your utility bills in Dubai – here is how you can set up ‘autopay’
Save time, and create an automatic schedule for your bill payments on the ‘Dubai Now’ app.
Dubai: Do you have a habit of forgetting when your utility bills are due? If so, you can download the ‘Dubai Now’ app and activate the ‘autopay’ feature to never miss a payment.
In a recent online post, the Dubai Digital Authority announced that users can now enable this feature for their bills.
The Dubai Now app, which is available for Apple and Android devices, is developed by the Digital Dubai Authority, and allows users to access over 170 government and private services. Some of the services include paying your electricity and water bill, recharging a Salik account or topping up a nol card.
How to enable ‘autopay’ for your utility bill
You can only use the Dubai Now app if you have a UAE Pass account, which is the national digital identity for citizens, residents and visitors in the UAE. Click here to find out how you can set up an account.
Step 1: Login with UAE Pass and enter your payment details.
• Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
• Open the app, and tap ‘sign-in with UAE Pass’.
• Next, go to the profile section on the menu tab located at the bottom of your screen.
• Click on ‘Payment Details’, and select whether you want to add your credit card details or link your digital wallet account like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Google Pay.
It is important to note that if you do choose to add your digital wallet, it will not be used for auto payment, since it only supports single bill payment. Once you have added your payment details, you can use the ‘Dubai Now’ app to pay your bills.
Step 2: Select your bill and enter the ‘autopay’ schedule:
• On the app’s homepage, tap on ‘Bills’ and select your utility bill – Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (Dewa), Empower (which is central cooling system) or Etihad WE.
• Next, tap on the three dotted lines, and select ‘Edit’.
• After a few minutes, you will able to view your utility account number, as the account and UAE Pass are linked.
• Next, under the auto-payment settings, slide the toggle button, and select the day you want to schedule you payment.
• You have the option to set a maximum limit on this autopay option. This will ensure that the bill is not automatically paid if it exceeds a certain amount.
• Once that is set up, tap the ‘Update’ button.
If you do choose the autopay option, it is advisable to always track your bills, for if the bill is unusually high and you have set a maximum limit on the autopay option, your bill will not be paid.
Also, in such cases, if you are in Dubai, you can use the Dewa ‘Consumption Assessment Tool’ online to better understand your electricity and water consumption and make changes that will help reduce your bill.