Fuel poverty is a really serious problem and straw homes are a potential solution.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change statistics show 700,000 more UK families fell into fuel poverty in 2009, bringing the total to 5.5 million — one in five of all households.

This is a poorly directed benefit, as only 12% of recipients pay more than 10% of their income to heat their homes adequately (the "fuel poverty" which the transfer is meant to alleviate);