Changing energy providers could be a viable move for those hoping to ease their financial burden.
These times of economic uncertainty mean people should be looking to save pennies in different aspects of their everyday lives.
However, one area consumers may overlook - or be reluctant to do - is to change their energy supplier.
The financial benefits of making such a switch could be manifold and individuals might want to consider taking the step to make their budgets stretch that little bit further.
According to UK Net Guide, cash saved by changing gas energy providers is one of the most advisable methods for those keeping a close eye on their monthly outgoings.
"Moving to the cheapest gas supplier allows people to avoid forking out money they could instead be saving," the news provider explained.
The advice comes as it appears many consumers are struggling to meet their energy costs - especially those who use pre-payment meters - as a number have cut off their supply in order to save cash.
New findings from Consumer Focus have revealed almost three-in-five pre-pay users who have taken such action did so because they did not have adequate funds to top-up.
Even more worryingly, three-quarters of residences that have taken the plunge and disconnected have already cut back their outgoings in other areas.
These can range from basic requirements like food and drink to other expenditure such as leisure activities.
Moreover, many people who use the products find the current system of having to purchase credit for their meter at a shop or post office inconvenient.
And it is a matter of great consternation for the body's chief executive Mike O'Connor.
The specialist noted: "We must be concerned that hundreds of thousands of vulnerable consumers are walking a tightrope between topping-up their energy to stay warm or buying a decent meal."
Other recent figures produced by the Office for National Statistics suggested energy use is on a significant upward slope - and has been for the last 20 years - meaning extra attention should be paid to how much the bills are mounting up by.
A chapter in Social Trends 40 showed homes in the UK are now using a massive 155 per cent more domestic energy, such as that used in lighting and electrical appliances, than folks were back in 1970.
The amount of that consumed 40 years ago was the equivalent of 2.7 million tonnes of oil, but this is overwhelmed by the 6.8 million tonnes recorded just three years ago in 2007.
Such a leap has been put down to the recent growth of household technologies.
To picture a home without a computer, microwave or a music system today can sound a little absurd, yet all of these items would have looked distinctly out of place in an average 1970s household.
So the message seems clear. The days of the credit crunch have left many racking their brain to decide how they can trim the edges off their monthly outgoings, yet switching energy providers seems to have slipped through the net.
Not anymore. Rising energy bills and people disconnecting their supply is a dangerous road to go down.
Yet it is one that could be avoided by those who grab hold of the opportunity of switching their providers and therefore see the pennies start to stack up.
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