All modern villas and apartments have central air conditioning and these are more efficient and cheaper to run than the older models. Some older houses may have split air conditioning systems around the house with older properties being cooled by individual units for each room. Electricity is not cheap in the UAE and you can expect bills to be much higher in the summer months when the A/C is on constantly. An average monthly bill including water and electricity for a villa would normally be Dhs 1,000 to Dhs 3,000 per month depending on the month and between Dhs 200 and Dhs 600 for an apartment. The organisation handling all billings for electricity and water is DEWA or you may have to deal with a separate cooling company depending on your master developer.
Gas is piped in through the mains in the more modern homes and apartment blocks, but for the majority of people it is still delivered in large canisters that are kept outside the house or apartment for safety reasons. Gas bottles are delivered to your door and when the bottle is empty simply call the company giving 48 hours notice and they will dispatch a refilled bottle.
Voltage and plugs are the same as in the UK so British travelers can bring electrical items with them; if you have forgotten anything, electrical appliances are easy to find in Dubai.