Load increase
DEWA Additional Load and Power Upgrade Approval
When a warehouse adds machinery, an office takes a larger floor or a restaurant installs a heavier kitchen, the existing DEWA supply often is not enough. Increasing it needs a DEWA additional load approval, and usually changes to the main distribution board, cabling and metering.
As a DEWA approved contractor in Dubai, we work out how much load you actually need, prepare the revised design for DEWA, and carry out or coordinate the panel and cable works so the site passes inspection.
Who this is for
- Warehouses and factories adding equipment or cold storage
- Offices, clinics and retail units expanding or combining premises
- Restaurants and kitchens moving to higher-rated equipment
- Villas adding air conditioning, pools or EV chargers
What we handle
- Surveying the existing MDB, incoming cable, breaker rating and meter
- Calculating connected load and maximum demand for the new requirement
- Revising the load schedule and single line diagram
- Submitting the additional load request and answering DEWA comments
- MDB, SMDB, breaker and cable upgrades where the design requires them
- Arranging inspection and DEWA's meter or CT changes
How the process works
- Load assessmentWe list the existing and new equipment and calculate the demand you will actually draw.
- Design revisionThe load schedule and SLD are updated, and we confirm whether the existing supply, cables and panels can carry the new load.
- DEWA submissionThe additional load request is submitted with the revised drawings and tracked through design approval.
- Upgrade worksPanel, breaker and cable changes are carried out to the approved design.
- Inspection and energisationDEWA inspects the installation and updates the meter or CT arrangement where needed.
Documents checklist
Have these ready, or send what you have and we will tell you what is missing.
- Current DEWA account or premise number
- Trade licence or Emirates ID of the account holder
- Landlord or developer NOC for the load increase
- List of existing and new equipment with ratings
- Existing as-built SLD and load schedule, if available
- Photographs of the MDB, meter and incoming supply
How long does it take?
The duration depends on the size of the increase. A modest increase within the building's available capacity is usually quicker than one that needs a larger cable, new CT metering or substation capacity. We confirm the likely path after the site survey.
Common questions
How do I know how much additional load I need?
We calculate it from the equipment you plan to run and how it will be used, so you do not pay for capacity you will not draw.
Will my main distribution board need replacing?
Not always. It depends on the rating of the existing board, breakers and busbars. The survey tells us whether an upgrade or a full replacement is needed.
Does the building management need to approve the increase?
In leased or managed buildings the landlord or developer normally has to issue an NOC, because the increase uses capacity from the building's supply.
Guide: increasing your electricity load with DEWA
Signs you need more power, what a DEWA load increase involves, the documents and DEWA's published service times.
Read the load increase guideGuide: what DEWA approval involves
Read our step-by-step guide to DEWA approval: when you need it, the documents DEWA asks for and DEWA's published processing times.
Read the DEWA approval guideRelated services
Tell us about your project
Send the details and we will reply with the approvals you need and a quotation. For a faster answer, call or WhatsApp us.