How to Pay Your Utility Bill with Amex
As a point collector, it is in my greatest interest to put as much spend through credit card (and of course, ideally an Amex) as possible. So today let’s have a look at utility bills.
In the UK, we are free to choose whichever Gas & Electricity provider we want, although in my case the building uses communal heating so I can only choose one for electricity. The biggest factor when choosing surely is price, however being able to collect some points along the way is definitely a bonus.
Some providers only accept Direct Debit, whereas others let you pay with a credit card. Even better, the following providers are happy to take American Express:
- Bulb
- EDF Energy
- Ecotricity
- Green
- Igloo Energy
- Octopus Energy
- Orbit
- Outfox the Market
- OVO
- Spark Energy
Speaking for myself, I’ve been on Octopus Energy for three months and the experience has been quite good so far. I chose Octopus as a result of friends’ recommendation, and they have a pretty solid 4.8 rating on TrustPilot.
Should you be interested as well, please consider signing up using my referral link and we will both earn a bonus credit of £50 once your switch in complete.
Once your account is set up, change your Direct Debit payment amount to just £1 per month, so that you can pay the rest manually with a credit card.
Up to £10 off Your Amazon Fresh and Waitrose Shop
Two grocery shop discount offers for anyone in need.
First up is a Waitrose offer that is open to everyone. Simply place an order of at least £40, then apply code MW2704JFY at checkout, and £5 off will be applied automatically.
I didn’t find the terms for this offer – expiry date is unknown, but I’d assume that it’s limited to one redemption per user.
If you have never used Amazon Fresh – enter FRESHOFFER to get £10 off your first order and the minimum purchase value is £60. The offer ends April 11th.
Village Hotels Sale, 2-Night Stay with Breakfast and £40 Credit for £99
With England’s lockdown exit plan finally published, some people are already excited to make their holiday plans. I’m not ready to book anything yet, but if you are looking for a domestic getaway Village Hotels is having a good deal.
You can access the offer page here. The deal starts at £99, and includes:
- Two-night stay with breakfast
- A glass of fizz
- £40 credit to spend on first night’s dinner
It’s valid for the rest of 2021 but Thursday to Monday stays only. Most importantly, reservations are pre-paid and non-refundable, so do your risk assessment first.
Village Hotels has a decent portfolio in the UK, and I’d say their standard is as good as an average Hilton or Marriott in the country. My problem with them is location – most of their hotels are out in the suburbs, with the exception of Swansea and Edinburgh, so not realistic unless you drive.
I stayed at Village Hotel Swansea a few years ago with friends, and it was quite good.
£5 Free Money from Paypal and Airtime Rewards
Paypal appears to be feeling generous recently. After handing out £5 free money to 20,000 customers two weeks ago, they are offering more now.
You can sign up to the offer here. If eligible, you only need to download the Paypal app and sign in once, and £5 Paypal credit is yours. Unfortunately I’m not targeted, although the offer appears to be widely available as the limit is 154,000 users.
I’ve written about the Airtime Rewards app before – it’s an innovative way to earn cashback on your mobile phone bills through everyday spending. I’ve managed to earn £10 already and the credit posted swiftly on my Vodafone bill:
If you’d like to join Airtime Rewards, now is a great time as there’s a massive referral bonus boost till the end of this week. Enter my referral code NAYK9C9Y which earns you £1 credit immediately, and then another £4 if you make any eligible purchase within 5 days.
£10 Coupon Code for New Amazon App Users
Amazon is running a new incentive for customers to start using their App, and a free £10 gift might be waiting for you.
Check your eligibility here. If you are eligible, download the Amazon App on your Android Phone or iPhone and then sign in. You should see a banner for you to claim the offer.
The promo code can be used against an order of £30 or more placed using the Amazon App. The offer ends 19th March and is limited to the first 100,000 customers.
Recycle Ink Cartridges for Tesco Clubcard Points
Tesco had an ink cartridge recycling scheme which has been paused for a while, and it’s good to see it coming back finally.
You can view the programme’s website here. Click View Eligible Cartridges and you’ll see how many Clubcard points your cartridge earns:
You’ll need to ask for the recycling envelops in a Tesco store, put your cartridges inside and complete some details on the tear-off strip, then return the envelope in store.
Unfortunately there won’t be any confirmation of receipt, and if the points fail to post due to the cartridges being ineligible, lost or whatever, you won’t be able to make a claim. You can earn on up to 100 recycled cartridges per year.
Amazon Warehouse 20% off Deal
If you don’t mind buying second-hand stuff, Amazon Warehouse is running a pretty decent deal at the moment.
You can access the deal here. Now through February 14th, you can enjoy a further 20% discount on select Amazon Warehouse products. Simply add them to the basket, and the discount automatically applies at checkout:
Amazon Warehouse sells openbox / used products and their condition (like new or very good or good etc.) is available on the product pages, which helps you make a decision. Since they are already priced lower than new counterparts, another 20% off can be a great deal.
Free £5 Credit from Paypal (Targeted)
Paypal is gifting £5 to select customers and you may try your luck by opening this link and signing in.
If eligible, you will received a £5 credit into your Paypal account within 72 hours and no action is needed. It’s limited to the first 20,000 customers and closes on Feb 10th. Unfortunately I’m not eligible.
On the other hand, if you don’t have a Paypal account yet, you may considering signing up via my invitation, and once you’ve spent £5 via Paypal both of us will earn a £10 bonus credit. Please email me at [email protected] should you be interested.