Senior citizens in the northern emirates confirmed that smart applications impede their payment of electricity and water bills, and they said that they depend on their children and relatives to use them to avoid service interruptions, asking the Federal Electricity and Water Authority to find alternative solutions for smart services and their going to the authority’s offices to pay bills, as they cannot go out of the house , Given their health.
A member of the National Assembly suggested that the bills be collected from senior citizens every six months, so that they do not have to attend monthly to the offices of the authority, while the Federal Electricity and Water Authority confirmed that it delayed cutting the service in cases of non-payment until five bills or exceeding the credit limit of the account.
In detail, Salem Allawi (67 years old), one of the senior citizens, said that he lives alone in his home in Ghulaila, north of Ras Al Khaimah, and that he cannot go monthly to the authority’s office or deal with smart devices to pay electricity and water bills. He added that his cousin works in Abu Dhabi, and comes to visit him at various times, and he serves and helps him pay the bills.
He explained that when his cousin was absent for a long time, due to the precautionary procedures, the bills accumulated, which led him to go to the authority’s office to pay it, but he found the office closed, due to the implementation of the “remote” work system, which prompted him to ask for help from others to avoid cutting off electricity If he is late for paying the bill.
He pointed out that the competent authorities should find a mechanism that helps senior citizens to pay their bills in their homes, especially as it does not know how to use smart applications, and that the phone that uses it does not exceed 50 dirhams, adding that most senior citizens are owners of chronic diseases and are unable to go to offices Authority or deal with smart devices and applications.
The citizen, Rashid al-Shehhi, said that his maternal uncle is a friend of determination, and she lives with the maid, and she can only pay her bills with his help when he returns to her visit and checks her needs, pointing out that in the event that he is late for a long time because of work, he is afraid of accumulating bills and cutting service.
He explained that home services should be provided to senior citizens that help them pay their bills, communicate with them and visit them before cutting services to them, to ensure their social and health condition, pointing out that it helps his aunt through his mobile phone, but he may be late to pay the bill, given the pressures of work, what May expose it to cut off electricity and water.
Citizen, Youssef Obaid, a senior citizen, believed that senior citizens should be treated specially when providing services for collecting electricity and water bills, especially as smart applications stand in their way in paying service bills.
He added that his late payment of the bill, due to the fact that he did not leave the house for a long time, as he suffers from diabetes, may lead to the accumulation of bills and cut off service. He suggested that the bills be collected monthly by the authority’s employee to read the meter.
Member of the Federal National Council, Saeed Rashid Al Abdi, in an interview with "Emirates Today", suggested that the bills be collected from senior citizens every six months, so that they do not have to attend monthly to the authority’s offices, or search for someone to help them pay the bills via smart applications .
The General Director of the Federal Electricity and Water Authority, Mohamed Saleh, commented that the most prominent services provided by the authority to the category of senior citizens is to postpone the cutoff of service in cases of non-payment until five bills or exceed the credit limit of the account, and the actual cut is only made after communication with the consumer through Telephony, written notices made by a competent team.
He explained that the service is not limited to the category of senior citizens, but extends to include citizens with determination, chronic conditions, which require the continuity of the electricity service for both citizens and residents alike, and account holders of the campaign of social affairs card approved by the Ministry of Community Development, provided that Submit an application to benefit from the service through the Authority’s outlets or the call center.
Credit limit exceeded
The Director General of the Federal Electricity and Water Authority, Mohamed Saleh, said that the authority relies on the credit rating of its customers in cutting procedures, that is, the extent of the customer’s commitment to pay early for the monthly bill after exceeding the credit limit approved by the authority, which amounts to 1000 dirhams, and not only the amounts due on the customer’s account , As the customer's late payment is always taken into consideration based on the aforementioned classification, and on the basis of which the cut can be postponed for a period of up to three months after exceeding the credit limit.
A member of the «National» proposes to collect bills for senior citizens every 6 months.