American here. Almost all of my monthly payments for utilities, mortgage, daycare, car payment, etc...those are all direct funds transfers. Using a credit card would be too expensive for those. Some payments only occur via credit card (internet service, and until recently, T-mobile cell phone service, though they now accept direct fund transfer for that).

If I changed bank accounts, I'd have to untangle a bunch of monthly bills to a new account.

Fair. I don't have a car payment or children at this point which are the two big other costs where credit cards definitely don't make sense.

A bit surprised on utilities though. Nowhere I've lived on the west coast has charged a service fee for paying electric, gas, water, phone, etc with a credit card.

That's true. I could pay might electric bill without a fee.

https://utilities-self-service.ebill.seattle.gov/SeattleUtil...

Even PSE doesn't fee it. I guess why I bothered with checking account is that my credit cards expire far more often than I change bank accounts, I had a nasty fee once from Comcast because I didn't update my auto pay credit card in time.