Unlocking efficiency by shifting behaviours to cut demand

In Dubai, rising demand for electricity and water has put growing pressure on costly infrastructure like desalination plants and power grids. To address this, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) partnered with Advizzo as part of the Emirate’s 2030 energy and water strategy, helping more than 2.7 million residents understand and optimise their consumption. Since 2015, Advizzo has pioneered a new approach to utility–customer engagement by combining behavioural science, machine learning, and data integration. Its digital platform connects to DEWA’s billing information and to consumption data from household meters - showing how much electricity and water people actually use - enriched with inputs such as weather. This is then translated into personalised advice and comparisons delivered via app, SMS, email, or print. Households can see how their use compares to similar homes, receive targeted leak alerts, and get tailored tips to cut waste. 

Delivered as a Software-as-a-Service, the platform integrates seamlessly with DEWA’s existing systems - from billing to CRM and regulatory reporting - requiring no upfront capital investment. Since 2018, more than 2.7 million people have participated, achieving average reductions of 1.2% in electricity and 0.9% in water use each year. These small but steady savings add up to millions of kilowatt-hours and cubic metres conserved annually, and over 10,000 tonnes of CO₂ avoided every year.