DEWA Stops Paper Invoices and Fully Adopts Green Bill System

Dubai, UAE, 17 August 2015

Dubai Electricity & Water Authority ( DEWA ) has stopped sending paper bills to its customers. It has been sending Green Bills to all customers since the second quarter of 2015. In 2009, DEWA started its smart transformation. It achieved a 100% smart transformation, less than a year after the Smart Dubai initiative was announced. Adoption of smart services was 60% in 2014. This transformation in the shape of DEWA 's services helped DEWA to eliminate 13,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2014. This equates to planting 66,055 trees in an area equivalent to 124.6 football fields. The amount was calculated based on the emissions that could have resulted from customers travelling to and from DEWA offices. This was achieved by using DEWA 's electronic and smart services to conduct 3.8 million transactions.

As of 31 July 2015, a total of 602,758 customers, or around 83% of DEWA 's total customers, registered for the Green Bill. Customers can register for the Green Bill through DEWA 's website or smart app, by contacting the Customer Care Contact Center, or visiting any of DEWA 's service centres.

DEWA first launched the Green Bill, its electronic invoicing system, in July 2012 to support its efforts to protect the environment and enhance sustainability. After informing the public and increasing their awareness about the benefits of the Green Bill, DEWA conducted a comprehensive survey to measure customers' acceptance and willingness to use it. With positive public feedback, DEWA launched the Green Bill as an option in August 2012.

DEWA 's initiative supports the vision of the wise leadership and directives to achieve customers' comfort and happiness and develop all government services and transform them into smart services. It also supports DEWA 's efforts to improve its operational efficiency, protect the environment, enhance sustainability, inform its customers about its various services, improve and develop its smart services, streamline and accelerate procedures, and give customers access to all its services, anytime, anywhere.

DEWA 's smart transformation supports its ongoing efforts to promote the sustainable development of Dubai. This supports the long-term Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative, launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to establish the UAE as one of the global leaders in sustainable development, and a global hub for exporting and re-exporting green products and technologies, while maintaining a sustainable environment that supports economic growth in the long run. The initiative includes a range of programmes and policies in energy, agriculture, investment, and sustainable transport, in addition to new environmental and construction policies to raise standards of living in the UAE.

"The Green Bill supports the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to launch the Smart Government initiative, the post eGovernment era. This, in turn, contributes to significantly improving the services provided to customers and making Dubai the smartest city in the world. This will enable the city's facilities and services to be managed using smart and connected systems. The Green Bill also supports DEWA 's efforts to achieve the UAE Vision 2021 and the Dubai Plan 2021, and establish Dubai's position as a global hub for trade, finance, tourism, green economy and sustainability. This step is an essential part of DEWA 's strategy to reduce carbon emissions, protect the environment, and make people happier by adopting the latest technological solutions that provide the best possible service to customers in a safe and sustainable way. The Green Bill system will protect the environment, enhance sustainability, increase operational efficiency, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions," said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA .

" DEWA 's smart transformation started in 2010 when it launched its first smart app, which was very successful and widely received by customers. There were 26,000 downloads in 2010, 82,000 in 2011, 124,000 downloads in 2012, and over 206,000 downloads in 2013. From its launch to the end of 2014, DEWA 's app has been installed and updated 1,177,549 times," added Al Tayer.

DEWA 's smart app provides over 150 services and features that make life easier for all customers, including people with special needs by enabling them to complete their transactions, anytime, anywhere. The app can be downloaded and used on all smartphones and devices, home entertainment systems, smart watches, Android-compatible car navigation systems, and devices that convert traditional televisions into smart ones.

" DEWA constantly promotes the optimised use of modern services by benefiting from state-of-the-art technological applications. DEWA has achieved several key milestones and received a number of prestigious awards and accolades as a result. These include Best Mobile Government Service in the environmental sector at the third Government Summit 2015, Best Partnership with the Public Award from the Hamdan bin Mohammed Award for Smart Government for its Ashal Initiative in 2014, Best Mobile Government Service provided by the Hamdan bin Mohammed Programme for Smart Government in 2014 and 2013, Smart Applications for official organisations and General Government and organised by the Academy Awards for Excellence in the Arab Region 2015, the Strategic Website Award in the category of government organisations from the Academy Awards for Excellence in the Arab Region and many others," said Al Tayer.

The fully-fledged mobilisation to achieve smart transformation also played a key role in DEWA achieving first place among large government departments in the Dubai Government Excellence Award. DEWA has achieved a 94.3% customer satisfaction rate in 2013, a record high on a global level. The UAE has made a remarkable achievement worldwide in the field of e-Government by advancing to 28th globally in 2012 in the UN e-Government Survey. The biennial survey is the most comprehensive reference for e-Government programmes in the world, as it focuses on its role in promoting sustainable development. In DEWA implemented its Happiness Meter to support the initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to measure the happiness of residents and visitors. DEWA recorded 98% in the first few days of its launch. Society's satisfaction with DEWA is 87% and it is looking forward to increasing it.

DEWA has made sure that its app is native to all phone operating systems as it enables the use of the camera to launch the QR Code and take pictures to attach them to reports and utilises Augmented Reality technology and GPS applications. DEWA provides all its services on its smart app that supports iOS and Android platforms and through its web application on the website (dewa.ae) for mobile phones. Other DEWA applications can also be used on BlackBerry, Windows, Windows Phone, Samsung home applications systems and Etisalat's eLife.

-Ends-

For more information, please contact:
Ribal Dayekh or Noora Khoory
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority
+9714 307 2006 or 515 1784
ribal.dayekh@dewa.gov.ae
noora.khoory@dewa.gov.ae

Mutasem Shadid or Mazen Alebrahem
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
+9714 450 7675 or 450 7613
Mutasem.shadid@bm.com
Mazen.Alebrahem@bm.com

© Press Release 2015

Country: United Arab Emirates
Source Date: 8/17/2015

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