In the war against rising utility bills, this week's announcement that gas and electricity prices could go up by a further 30 per cent within the coming weeks could well prove to be many consumers' Waterloo, pushing them past their breaking point and forcing them to hoist the white flag and surrender to fuel poverty.

According to the latest figures from the government's Fuel Poverty Advisory Group, as many as 2.9 million household[s] currently spend ten per cent or more of their monthly earnings on paying their fuel bills, with this figure set to top the three million mark any day now.

With energy companies citing problems being experienced far from these shores, principally in the Middle East, Russia and the Niger Delta, as they warn that the high wholesale cost of crude oil means future price hikes cannot be ruled out, the emphasis is on for Britons to go on the offensive.

And, as any general worth his stripe would attest, when faced with a seemingly invincible enemy, adopting the pincer movement strategy and taking the problem on from both sides is often the best route to success.

Over the past few weeks, consumer groups and watchdogs have been commanding consumers to blitz price comparison sites and shop around for the best utilities deals, pointing out that small savings can soon add up and placing particular stressing the benefits of fixed-rate deals at a time when future market fluctuations are difficult to predict.

However, any advances made on this front can be fatally undermined if they are not supported by savings made in the home.

Indeed, with capped energy rate deals increasingly disappearing from the market, it is becoming apparent that the only real way to trim bills is to undertake an energy efficiency drive at home, with even the simplest steps able to generate significant savings in the long-run.

Research by Fairinvestment.co.uk revealed that the average UK household could save up to £900 a year on their fuel bills simply by taking steps such as turning off lights when leaving rooms, not leaving electrical appliances on standby or even shutting windows and wearing a jumper rather than turning the heating up.

The website's Steve Wagner commented: "There has been much controversy lately about how effective making small changes to your energy use can be in saving the planet.

"Today we face a serious challenge in saving ourselves from fuel poverty, and these small energy saving steps can make all the difference - if the average annual energy bill is now in excess of £1,200, people could easily knock hundreds off by being extra vigilant."

Though it may not be as satisfying as scoring a cheaper deal after blitzkreiging online comparison sites, taking such routine measures is a key weapon in the arsenal needed to win the fight against the credit crunch and, as has been proven time and time again over the centuries on Russian territory, decisive action needs to be taken before the harsh winter months kick in.