Abu Dhabi, April 2, 2020 – The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) has revised its regulations for electrical wiring, which have been in place since 2014, in an effort to ease financial burdens on Emirati nationals wishing to build new villas, without compromising on safety and security.

The specialised taskforce at the DoE’s Regulatory Affairs Department reviewed the instructions in cooperation with Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) and Al Ain Distribution Company (AADC), identifying paragraphs that can be modified to cut costs for residential villa owners.

DoE Undersecretary His Excellency Eng. Mohammed bin Jarsh Al Falasi said: “The Department of Energy is working with its partners to improve the services provided to citizens, reflecting the leadership’s directives for enhancing the quality of life and happiness of the community.”

“Reviewing the regulations on electrical wiring is part of our efforts to streamline the process of electrical installations in homes, all the while making the set-up more cost effective. This will help ease the financial burden on homeowners while maintaining efficiency and safety in delivering electricity to homes. We will continue to work with various entities and review other regulations as well, in addition to encouraging citizens to build their homes and make the best use of energy and water services in the emirate.”

Teams from the DoE, ADDC and AADC modified regulations on allocating electrical panels for distribution boards in residential villas, which have an average electric current of 200 amps or more. It was agreed to allow Emirati owners of residential villas to install wall-mounted distribution boards with a maximum electric current of 399 amps, as opposed to building dedicated electrical rooms. This would save homeowners at least AED25,000, who will also no longer need to allocate a small piece of land for these rooms. It is expected that at least half of new residential villa owners in Abu Dhabi will benefit from these amendments.

In order to install wall-mounted distribution boards, new villa owners can approach the distribution company in their respective area (Abu Dhabi or Al Ain) and follow procedure for installation requests. Approvals will be subject to meeting the safety and regulatory requirements stipulated by the DoE and the two distribution companies.