Is the cost of fuel going to rise again?

As the colder weather and shorter days start to take hold across the UK, many of us are considering the prospect of turning the heating on in order to keep our homes warm. But with the latest announcement that power bills will be going up again for millions of Britons, the radiator is going to have to stay turned off until it is absolutely necessary - break out the woolly jumpers and duvets.

After a Radio 5 Live Consumer Panel last week, Martin Lewis - the expert behind MoneySavingExpert.com - wrote in a blog post that he reckons energy giant E.ON will keep its promise to not raise prices this year. But as soon as the bells start ringing to welcome in 2013, we can expect a price hike on the horizon.

"What usually happens, a very short time after the pledge ends, is the prices jump," he explained. He also added that price guarantees such as this one "give customers a false sense of security, even more so if they encourage people to switch to a provider offering one".

While industry regulations require energy companies to give 30 days' notice of price changes, this warning won't help to heat or light your home this winter. It's feared that with the poor economy and already sky-rocketing energy bills, further tariff increases could throw even more people into fuel poverty - right in the middle of winter.

Although switching suppliers is one option to help you save money on fuel in the short-term, taking steps to improve the energy efficiency of your home is one of the best ways to cut your energy bills in the long run. For example, make sure your home is properly insulated and that your boiler is running at maximum efficiency.

Switching to LED light bulbs is another excellent way to cut down on your energy usage. These use a fraction of the energy required by other types of lighting and can last for many years, so you shouldn't have to worry about replacing them any time soon.