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People may want to give their accounts a warming boost with a loan, after one sector organisation claims that 5.4 million households in the UK are suffering from fuel poverty.

According to National Energy Action (NEA), the average gas bill has seen a 147 per cent price increase from January 2003, while the cost of electricity has shot up by 94 per cent in the same period.

Indeed, not only are such increases resulting in fuel poverty, but also poor energy efficiency and low household income, states Maria Wardrobe, warm homes campaigner for the NEA.

However, it could be said that secured loans may pay for greener home improvements which could see energy bills cut further down the line.

"Energy prices are the one[s] that [are] the most volatile at the moment but we do need to address the other two [factors]," she says.

Research by the NEA shows that since the start of 2008, electricity prices have risen by 27 per cent, while gas has shot up by 44 per cent.

Secured loans may be the wise option for individuals looking for a way to secure cash to cover the cost of bills or to upgrade home appliances.