As it now starts to get darker earlier, consumers may begin to find they are using more energy within their homes. However, the increased heating costs already appears to be turning the heat up on many peoples budget.

Such is the assertion of MoneyExpert, where in the latest report, it was noted that an increasing number of Britons are struggling to pay their fuel costs. According to the price comparison website, the past six months have seen some 1.61 million consumers miss a demand for payment for their usage of gas. This compares to the 1.16 million who failed to manage this spending commitment in the last half of 2007. Also, the last six months were shown to have seen a hike in those who have not been able to pay their electricity bill. During this period of time an estimated 1.96 million Brits have have failed to manage such a task, an increase from the 1.31 million said to have had such difficulties between July and December 2007.

By not being able to keep up demands for payment on heating bills, it is probable that consumers are finding they have problems managing other spending commitments. This could include areas such as homeowner loans repayments and credit cards.

The hike in the number of consumers struggling to pay their energy bills was particularly attributed to Britains six major energy providers introducing two rounds of price rises over the course of this year, following rises in the wholesale cost of oil and gas.

Whilst discussing the research, Sean Gardner, director of MoneyExpert, said: "Households are clearly feeling the strain with energy bills and other household bills going unpaid. The fear must be that the number of missed bills will only rise as the full impact of energy price rises hits home in the winter. The summer months are traditionally an inexpensive time when it comes to heating the home but the recent price increases and a tougher economic climate have meant that more and more people are struggling. As autumn closes in, wed only expect these figures to increase as the number of people pushed into fuel poverty jumps."

However, energy bills are not the only areas of household expenditure consumers are struggling with. MoneyExpert reveals that some 5.37 million people have missed a payment on some form of household bills in the previous 6 months. Such a figure is said to account for 12 per cent of the British adult population.

Nevertheless, it appears that there could be some financial respite for consumers in the months to come. Mr Gardner pointed to recent reports by numerous industry commentators who believe that there may soon be a fall in the cost of wholesale energy.

For consumers looking for assistance in getting to grips with various financial commitments, applying for a debt consolidation loan may prove to be of help. In doing so, borrowers may find that they can meet numerous constraints on their spending quickly, leaving them with an affordable low-cost monthly repayment. This might prove to be especially helpful after a study by MoneyExpert last month revealed that since Gordon Brown became prime minister in June 2007, the average annual interest charged on a credit card has increased from 18.36 to 19.66 per cent, with fixed-rate mortgage deals and personal loans also becoming more expensive.