Paying utilities via Credit Card

ArfurDaley48

Good morning all. 

I am aware that certain UK utilities can be paid via credit card, but I've only been able to find manual payment methods. 

Is there a way to set up a credit card as an automatic payment method, so effectively it will work the same as a direct debit? 

I'm looking to put as much on my credit card as I can to build Avios points. I pay my balance in full every month, non negotiable.

Mark_d

Mobile phone and broadband can often be paid by continuous payment authority.  That's what I do.  But as you say, energy bills only allow you to make adhoc payments by credit card

MyRealNameToo

ArfurDaley48 said:

I'm looking to put as much on my credit card as I can to build Avios points. I pay my balance in full every month, non negotiable.

Are you sure the extra Avios are worth the loss of the discount for paying by monthly DD?

ArfurDaley48

MyRealNameToo said:

ArfurDaley48 said:

I'm looking to put as much on my credit card as I can to build Avios points. I pay my balance in full every month, non negotiable.

Are you sure the extra Avios are worth the loss of the discount for paying by monthly DD?

You make a good point, I had forgotten about that. Most likely not. 

QrizB

ArfurDaley48 said:

MyRealNameToo said:

ArfurDaley48 said:

I'm looking to put as much on my credit card as I can to build Avios points. I pay my balance in full every month, non negotiable.

Are you sure the extra Avios are worth the loss of the discount for paying by monthly DD?

You make a good point, I had forgotten about that. Most likely not. 

As I understand it, you can set up a low DD with Octopus to get the DD tariff but then make most of your payments with CC.

I'vennot tried this myself but it gets mentioned on the Energy forum now and then.

crumpet_man

MyRealNameToo said:

ArfurDaley48 said:

I'm looking to put as much on my credit card as I can to build Avios points. I pay my balance in full every month, non negotiable.

Are you sure the extra Avios are worth the loss of the discount for paying by monthly DD?

Is it still the case that some companies offer a discount for direct debit?  I know it used to happen but I've not seen it for some time.

I recently changed to manual credit card payments for all utilities and none of the providers offer a discount for direct debit.

QrizB

crumpet_man said:

I recently changed to manual credit card payments for all utilities and none of the providers offer a discount for direct debit.

Almost all energy suppliers charge more - typically about 8% - for "standard credit" accounts rather than DD ones. I'm surprised yours doesn't.

Which supplier are you with?

crumpet_man

Octopus Energy and Tomato Energy (no credit card payment option for Tomato)

QrizB

crumpet_man said:

Octopus Energy and Tomato Energy (no credit card payment option for Tomato)

Octopus do charge more for Standard Credit than for Direct Debit, on at least some of their tariffs.

If you go to https://octopus.energy/tariffs and enter your postcode you'll get a list of current tariffs. There's a box to tick for "show me the prices for other payment methods".

Eg.nthe DD version of Flexible Octopus single-rate electricity on Southern region is:

Electricity
    Unit rate:25.94 p/kWh

    Standing charge:41.35 p/day

And the non-DD version:

Electricity
    Unit rate:26.80 p/kWh
    Standing charge:47.71 p/day

That's a higher unit cost and a higher standing charge if you don't pay by DD.

crumpet_man

I have just remembered I have set my Octopus direct debit to £1 so that's probably an option to everyone, start with the standard direct debit billing then ask Octopus to change it

My other utilities; council tax, water, broadband and mobiles there is no saving for direct debit.  

QrizB

crumpet_man said:

I have just remembered I have set my Octopus direct debit to £1 ...

That makes more sense 🙂