Dubai: There are now more incentives to save electricity and water apart from cutting down your utility bills and reducing your carbon footprint. Now, you can win thousands of dirhams for using energy and water sensibly.
The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has opened registration for the 12th Best Consumer Award, which encourages residential customers to wisely use energy and water and raise awareness about the importance of adopting environmentally-friendly practices.
This year, the Best Consumer Award has two categories: villas and apartments. Consumers need to cut down at least 15 per cent of their utility bills from January 1 to December 31, 2016, compared with the same period the previous year.
Those who achieve the highest savings in electricity and water will receive cash prizes totaling Dh60,000 and appreciation certificates from Dewa.
“Dewa has encouraged and rewarded customers who made the effort to reduce their use [of energy and water]. Through the Best Consumer Award, Dewa promotes conservation and involves participants in achieving sustainable development,” said Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa.
In the two categories, the customers who achieve the highest savings will receive a prize of Dh15,000 each. The person in second place will receive Dh10,000 each and the third Dh5,000 each.
Some 6,008 customers participated in the Best Consumer Award from across Dubai last year. They saved a total of 3 million kilowatts per hour (KWh) of electricity and 29 million gallons of water worth Dh2.4 million in savings. This is equivalent to 1,988 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions saved from being emitted to the atmosphere, said Amal Koshak, senior manager of Marketing Communications at Dewa.
To get plus points in the competition, users can enhance their winning chances by paying their bills on time using Dewa’s website or smart app. Solar energy users have an edge, too.
This year, Dewa provides an additional opportunity for the Consumer Award participants to win the Baitna Methali (Arabic for ‘Our Home is Ideal’) award, which honours homes that enjoy the best safety, health, and environmental criteria.
Participation in the Best Consumer Award is open to residential customers in Dubai. Users can register on Dewa’s website (www.dewa.gov.ae) or smart app. The deadline for this year’s award is December 31.
