Moving in: DEWA, chiller, gas, internet & access cards

You have the keys. What you don't have yet is electricity in your name, cooling, an internet line, or permission to bring a sofa up the service lift. A brand-new building adds a few steps that a resale apartment never would — here is the week-one checklist, in the order that avoids the classic traps.

The week-one checklist at a glance

• DEWA — open your electricity & water account.
• District cooling — find out who your chiller provider is and register with them separately (this is the one people miss).
• Gas — only if your building is piped for it.
• Internet — check which provider actually serves your building before ordering.
• Move-in permit & access cards — book with the building's management before the moving truck arrives.

DEWA: power and water in your name

Every Dubai home runs its electricity and water through DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority). Registration — DEWA calls activation "move-in" — is done online or through the DEWA app, and you'll need your ownership document and Emirates ID or passport details. Expect to pay a refundable security deposit plus a connection fee when you activate; the deposit comes back when you eventually close the account. In a brand-new building the developer usually hands you the premise details you need at key collection — if they don't, ask, because you can't register without them.

District cooling: the bill nobody warns you about

Many Dubai towers don't cool themselves — air conditioning arrives as chilled water from a district cooling provider (Empower and Emicool are the common names you'll see). If your building works this way, the chiller company is a separate utility with its own registration, its own deposit and its own monthly bill — DEWA has nothing to do with it. Register before you move in; some providers won't start cooling, or will bill you awkwardly, until the account is in your name.

The surprise for many first-time owners is the bill's shape: district cooling commonly charges a fixed capacity (demand) charge for your unit's share of the plant on top of what you actually consume — so the bill never drops to zero, even in winter, even if the apartment sits empty. Ask the provider for your unit's capacity charge up front so the first statement isn't a shock.

You'll also see the phrase "chiller-free" in listings: it means the cooling charges are covered by the landlord (or bundled into the building's charges) rather than billed to the occupant. As an owner planning to rent your unit out, whether you advertise chiller-free changes what rent you can ask — worth knowing before you list.

Gas — only some buildings

Many new towers are fully electric. Others are piped for central gas through a private gas company serving that building — in which case you register with that provider, typically with its own deposit and a connection visit. The building management will tell you if your tower has gas and who runs it; don't buy a gas hob until you know.

Internet: check coverage before you order

Dubai has two main providers — du and e& (Etisalat) — but coverage varies by building: many towers, especially new ones, are wired for only one of the two at first. Check which provider serves your building (both have coverage checkers, or ask the building management) before booking an installation, and book early — in a freshly handed-over tower, installation slots fill up as everyone moves in at once.

Access cards and the move-in permit

Brand-new buildings are run by an owners' association management company, and most require a move-in permit before your movers can use the service lift — commonly an application form, your ownership document, Emirates ID or passport, and sometimes a refundable deposit against damage to common areas. Book the slot a few days ahead; turning up with a truck and no permit is the most common first-week mistake in a new tower.

The same office issues your access cards — building entry, parking, gym and pool. In the first weeks after handover the management office is dealing with hundreds of new residents at once, so allow time, keep copies of everything you submit, and get the office's direct contact details while you're there: you'll need them again for snagging follow-ups and your first service charge questions.

One more thing: keep the paperwork together

DEWA premise details, chiller account number, move-in permit, access card receipts, handover documents — keep them in one folder. When you rent the unit out or sell it, every one of these resurfaces, and the moves that go smoothly are the ones where the owner can produce them without an archaeology dig.

Related: Oqood and what happens to it at handover · what's handing over next · rents and prices in your area
General information, not legal or financial advice.