If things are financially tight now, wait until we have to turn the heating on this winter when power and heating bills will be at their highest. That is why signing up for cashback apps now rather than later could help you build up a bit of savings to put towards your energy bills this autumn. There are even apps out there that can allocate your cashback savings straight toward your household bills.
“The ongoing chaos at the heart of government has done nothing to assuage fears over the cost-of-living crisis,” says energy expert, Mohsin Rashid, Co-Founder of ZIPZERO, a cashback app that is working with major utility firms, retailers and other brands to put a percentage of customer purchases towards their household bills.
“While hopeful candidates battle over tax changes that will not come into effect until September at the earliest, the public is deeply worried about how they will pay their energy bills, which are predicted to top £3,000 per year,” says Rashid.
Rashid’s aim is for the app to help consumers put a portion of their spending towards their utility and other household bills to take the sting out of the rising cost of most everyday items, like food, petrol and energy.
How does ZIPZERO work?
ZIPZERO claims it offers a mass-market consumer solution to the cost-of-living crisis. Shopping via the ZIPZERO app earns users cash to pay bills – the cash rewards are funded by retailers and brands through the ZIPZERO platform by allowing them to divert a collective £27 billion digital advertising spend back to their own customers.
“Every day, global giants like Google and Facebook track our transactional behaviour and earn cash by allowing retailers to target us online. Meanwhile, none of this wealth is shared with the owners of that data – the consumer,” says ZIPZERO.
Rashid said that the company was started so that consumers have a right to some of the money that is earned on the back of their shopping data. “We created a smart tool – the ZIPZERO app – to give everyone the ability to gain access to these funds. Furthermore, we wanted to put this money directly towards an essential cause – monthly bill payment.”
By sharing your shopping receipts with ZIPZERO, the company gains insights into your needs and preferences. Next, on the basis of the data you share, they tailor special offers that are personalised so that you can easily find the products you want.
“Every time you shop with one of our retail partners and earn a premium reward, ZIPZERO earns a commission from processing the sale. We use the majority of this commission to cover the rewards you earn from sharing your data within the app. This is how we close the loop on a fair consumer exchange.”
Rashid says that while the government consumes itself in finding its next Prime Minister, the chances of a cohesive strategy being developed and then executed to tackle soaring energy prices “look slim”.
“With candidates outbidding each other on tax reductions in the name of true blue and the suggestion that such action is only required due to emergency, one has to wonder if a long-term strategy will ever materialise.
“The only way to avoid millions of people going into fuel poverty this winter is to develop a collaborative strategy between government, energy providers, retailers and consumers,” he says reiterating that the next PM and their team must engage with the private sector to see how innovative solutions could help people fight their way out of the cost-of-living crisis.
In the meantime, consumers will need to find new ways to save on everyday items. Although it might just be a £1 here or there it can add up to a healthy sum to go towards a utility or food bill. Here are some more cashback and discount sites to check out to help you save during the Cost of Living Crisis:
Supermarket coupons UK – MoneySavingExpert
Shop, save and get rewards (joinhoney.com)
Free Coupons, Cash Back & Deals for July 2022 – Coupert
VoucherCodes – Exclusive Discount Codes & Vouchers
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