A meter that has gone dark, stopped counting, or shows readings that make no sense can leave you unsure whether your electricity supply is at risk — or what your next bill will look like. So here’s What to Do If an Electricity Meter Stops Working: above all, don’t touch it — the meter belongs to your utility provider, and only they (or a licensed technician they send) can legally work on it. Tampering with a meter yourself is an offence in the UAE and can lead to fines or prosecution.
The good news: a dead or faulty meter rarely means your power will be cut off suddenly. Providers treat faulty meters as a technical issue on their side, and the fix — usually inspection, testing, or replacement of the meter — is handled through their official reporting channels. Here’s exactly how to handle it, step by step.
Quick Answer
If your electricity meter stops working: don’t touch, open, or try to fix the meter yourself — it’s the utility provider’s property. First confirm your power is actually on and note what the meter is doing (blank display, stuck reading, error code). Then report a faulty meter through your provider’s official channels — in Dubai, use DEWA’s Smart Response service on the website or app, or call the emergency line 991 for urgent cases. The provider will test the meter and replace it if it’s genuinely faulty; a nominal testing fee may apply, so check the official portal for current rates. Keep a note of your report reference number.
Signs Your Electricity Meter May Have Stopped Working
A meter can fail in different ways, and not every odd reading means the meter is dead. Watch for these signs:
- Blank display: a smart or digital meter with a completely dark screen, though your lights and appliances still work.
- Frozen reading: the numbers on the meter haven’t moved for days or weeks despite normal electricity use.
- Error codes or warning symbols: flashing error messages or unusual symbols on the display.
- Physical damage: a cracked casing, scorch marks, a burning smell, or visible melting around the meter — treat this as urgent.
- Meter running when everything is off: the reading climbs even with all your breakers switched off (this may indicate a wiring fault rather than a meter fault).
- Zero or impossibly low readings: your bill shows almost no consumption while you know the AC has been running all summer.
Note the difference between a meter fault and a supply fault: if your power is completely out, the problem is usually the supply or your breaker, not the meter. For that situation, see our guide on what to do if the electricity goes out first.
What to Do If an Electricity Meter Stops Working: Step by Step
1. Stay safe and don’t touch the meter
This is the single most important rule. Electricity meters are sealed, utility-owned equipment. Opening the seal, rewiring, or “testing” the meter yourself is illegal in the UAE and can be treated as tampering or theft of electricity — even if your intentions were innocent. If you see scorch marks, smell burning, or notice heat coming from the meter box, keep your distance, switch off the main breaker if it’s safe to do so, and call your provider’s emergency line immediately.
2. Confirm the basics
Before reporting, rule out the simple explanations:
- Check your main breaker and distribution board — is power actually reaching your home?
- Ask whether other flats or villas nearby have the same issue (a frozen reading is usually individual, not area-wide).
- If your meter is inside your flat, check whether the display is just dim or in a sleep mode — some smart meters light up only when you press a button. (Don’t open the sealed casing; the display button, if any, is outside it.)
- Take a photo of the meter display (without opening anything) showing the current reading and the date — this is your evidence.
3. Record the details
Write down: your account number, the meter number (printed on the casing), the last reading you can see, when you first noticed the problem, and whether power is still on. This information makes your report much faster to process.
4. Report the faulty meter to your provider
Each emirate has its own provider and reporting channels:
- Dubai (DEWA): Use the Smart Response service on the DEWA website or smart app to log a faulty-meter report and track it in real time. For urgent or dangerous situations (burning smell, scorching, sparking), call the emergency line 991, which operates 24/7.
- Sharjah (SEWA): Report through SEWA’s official customer and emergency channels so the fault is logged against your account.
- Northern Emirates (Etihad Water & Electricity): Log the fault through their official app or customer service line.
- Abu Dhabi (ADDC / AADC): Report via ADDC’s or AADC’s official technical complaint channels.
Keep your report or reference number — you’ll need it to follow up. For the formal process, also see our guide on how to report a faulty electricity meter, which walks through the reporting channels in more detail.
5. Let the technician do their job
The provider will typically send a technician to inspect and test the meter. Give them access to the meter location and keep your report number handy. If the meter is found to be faulty, the provider replaces it — replacement of a damaged or burnt meter is a standard service, with charges depending on the case. A modest verification or testing fee may apply, so check the official portal for current rates before the visit.
What Happens to Your Bill When the Meter Is Faulty?
This is the question most people ask. When a meter is confirmed faulty, the provider doesn’t just guess — they estimate your consumption based on your historical usage, typically averaging your bills from previous months, and adjust your account accordingly.
- Frozen or under-reading meter: you may receive an adjusted bill for the undercharged period, based on your past consumption pattern.
- Over-reading meter: if the meter was reading too high, you can be credited for the difference after verification.
- Keep your own records: if you track your usage through the provider’s app (DEWA’s Smart Living dashboard, for example, shows daily and monthly consumption), that history supports your case during any billing adjustment.
If your bills have been unusually high and you suspect the meter is at fault rather than your usage, our guide on how to check unusual electricity consumption explains how to investigate before filing a complaint.
Who Pays for the Repair or Replacement?
In the UAE, the electricity meter is the provider’s asset — that’s why you’re not allowed to touch it. Because of this, testing and replacement of a genuinely faulty meter is generally handled by the provider. A few nuances worth knowing:
- If the meter failed on its own (age, manufacturing defect), the provider replaces it at no cost to you beyond any standard service fee.
- If the meter was damaged by the customer — for example, physical damage from unauthorised work or overloading caused by unapproved load increases — the customer can be charged for the replacement. Charges depend on the case.
- Meter verification (a formal test of the meter’s accuracy at your request) usually carries a nominal fee. Check the provider’s official portal for the current amount before requesting it.
What Not to Do
- Don’t break the seal or open the meter — this is treated as tampering, regardless of your reason.
- Don’t hire a private electrician to “fix” the meter — electricians can work on your internal wiring and distribution board, but the meter itself is off-limits.
- Don’t ignore it — an under-reading meter will eventually be corrected, and the back-billing can be an unpleasant surprise. Reporting early keeps the adjustment small.
- Don’t keep using a scorched or smoking meter box — switch off the main breaker if safe, move away, and call the emergency line.
- Don’t stop paying your bills while the meter is faulty — keep paying the billed amounts; adjustments come later.
How to Prevent Meter Problems
You can’t prevent every meter failure, but you can reduce the risks:
- Never approve unqualified electrical work near the meter box — overloads from unapproved load increases are a known cause of burnt meters.
- Keep the meter area dry, ventilated, and free of stored items or flammable materials.
- If you’re renovating, make sure your contractor knows the meter and its seals are strictly off-limits.
- Monitor your consumption regularly through your provider’s app so you notice a frozen or jumping reading early.
If you’re new to the property and unsure the meter was ever reading correctly, confirm the setup was properly activated — see UAE utility connection requirements for how a clean connection should be established.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Will my power be cut off if the meter stops working?
Usually not. A faulty meter is a metering problem, not a supply problem — your electricity typically stays on while the fault is investigated. Power is only interrupted if there’s a safety issue (like a burnt meter) or if you have unpaid bills.
How long does meter replacement take?
It varies by provider and case. Simple replacements are often scheduled within a few days of the report; urgent safety cases are prioritised. Your report reference number lets you track progress through the provider’s app or website.
Can I read the meter myself to check it’s working?
Yes — looking at the display and comparing readings over a few days is fine and encouraged. What’s not allowed is opening the sealed meter, breaking tamper seals, or altering anything inside the meter box.
What if my water meter stops working too?
The same principle applies: the water meter belongs to the provider and must be reported, not touched. See our guide on what to do if a water meter stops working for the water-specific steps.
Do I need to be home when the technician visits?
Often yes, especially if the meter is inside your flat or in a locked utility room. The provider usually contacts you to arrange a time, so keep the phone number on your account up to date.
My meter reading seems too high — is the meter faulty?
Not necessarily. Seasonal AC use, new appliances, or a water heater left on can all spike consumption. Check your usage history in the provider’s app first and work through the checklist in our guide on how to check unusual electricity consumption before requesting a meter test.
The Bottom Line
A dead or faulty electricity meter is the provider’s problem to fix, not yours — but reporting it is your responsibility. Note the symptoms, photograph the display, report through official channels, and keep your reference number. Never open or interfere with the meter yourself. Do that, and the worst outcome is usually a modest billing adjustment based on your normal usage — not a fine, not a disconnection, and not a surprise back-bill you weren’t expecting.
Last Updated: 8 October 2026
About the author: Zaviyar Sultan is a UAE-focused writer at Asandada24, covering driving, visas, banking, insurance and everyday UAE life. His guides are researched from official UAE government and regulator sources and updated regularly.
Asandada24 is an independent informational website, not affiliated with the UAE government or any agency mentioned; content is general information only, not legal, immigration or financial advice; verify critical details with official sources before acting.