Slight easing on the firewood market in Hesse
After the enormous price increases and supply bottlenecks for firewood last year, the situation for fireplace and stove owners in Hesse looks a little better this winter. "Our impression is that the situation has eased compared to last year," said the state forestry company Hessenforst in response to an inquiry from the German Press Agency. "Customers have probably stocked up well recently, also to allow the raw material to dry long enough to below 20 percent wood moisture."
"The demand for firewood is still higher than before the Ukraine war and the energy crisis," explained a spokeswoman for Hessenforst. Local shortages may have to be compensated for elsewhere. This could mean that firewood customers would have to accept longer transportation routes or switch to other types of wood. The prices for firewood in the state operation have remained stable since last season.
Large regional differences
According to the Federal Association of Firewood Trade and Firewood Production, firewood prices at dealers in Hesse have fallen by around 20 percent compared to the previous year, just like in the rest of Germany. There are strong regional price differences in Hesse as elsewhere, said Klaus Egly, chairman of the association, to dpa.
The price for a bulk cubic meter of beech is currently between 120 and 160 euros in larger full-time operations. "Prices like before the Ukraine war will no longer exist," emphasized Egly. On the one hand, this is due to the increased demand for firewood. On the other hand, the supply of wood is limited by the sustainability principle of forestry, which states that only as much can be taken from the forest as will grow back. In addition, the furniture and construction industries also have a large demand for wood. According to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, there are around 11.2 million so-called single-room fireplaces in Germany as supplementary wood heating systems, mainly wood-burning stoves and tiled stoves.
Hessenforst markets firewood via an internet portal. "The responsible forestry offices post the available quantities of firewood there," explained the spokesperson. "In some forestry offices, the available assortments of beech firewood were and are quickly sold out. However, firewood of other species such as oak, ash or spruce is available nationwide." Experience shows that demand is higher at the beginning of the season and decreases as the winter progresses. "We are not currently seeing panic buying like last year," said the spokeswoman.
Try out other types of wood
The German Firewood Association also advises consumers to try buying wood types other than beech. "Beech burns slowly and is actually boring," explained Egly. "Birch, for example, produces a completely different flame pattern. It's fun to watch." Beech wood is slow to get going in the stove. Spruce, on the other hand, burns at a much higher temperature. "You quickly reach a high operating temperature and prevent glowing soot," he said. Unfortunately, softwood does not make a glowing bed, but you can add beech in this case. "You just have to get to grips with it and experiment a little."
He advises stove and fireplace owners to ask their local dealer for mixed wood. The prices for this are lower than for beech wood. "You can save money that way. You will quickly realize that softwood and coniferous wood burns quickly and the beech then holds the fire," he explained. According to the industry expert, around 95 percent of the wood you buy from a retailer in Germany also comes from Germany.
The eased firewood situation in Hesse this winter means that consumers can now focus on using the stored wood to reach the required 20% moisture level for efficient heating. The increased demand for firewood, along with the sustainability principle and high demand from other industries, has resulted in a shift in consumers considering alternative wood types for heating.
Source: www.dpa.com
