Citizens Advice has announced details of its latest efforts aimed at helping ease the debt problems of millions of people around the country who are failing to pay off their energy bills.

The charity has launched an Energy Best Deal campaign designed to provide reliable information to consumers who are seeing their money problems made worse by mounting fuel debts.

According to energywatch, there are almost 4.5 million Britons living in fuel poverty and Citizens Advice reports that its staff saw an 11 per cent spike in requests for help with fuel debts in the first two months of 2008.

"In addition to raising awareness about social tariffs and disseminating information about all the help that is available, intermediary help needs to be made available to the most vulnerable customers," a statement on the subject from the charity read.

Earlier this year, Citizens Advice urged elderly Britons with money problems to make sure they receive the winter fuel payment funds that they are entitled to claim from the government.