Status: 09/22/2022 10:55 a.m
Because of high gas, oil and electricity prices, wood has become more popular as a fuel. But both firewood and wood pellets have become considerably more expensive. One reason for this is the increased transport costs.
Firewood and wood pellets are becoming increasingly expensive. In August, their price rose by almost 86 percent compared to the same month last year, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office. In comparison: consumer prices as a whole rose by just 7.9 percent in the same period.
The upward trend in prices is even clearer when looking at producer prices: for example, wood flakes and chips, which are used to heat wood chip heating systems, among other things, were a good 133 percent more expensive in August than a year earlier. Wood pellets increased in price by 108 percent. For comparison: At the same time, commercial producer prices as a whole rose much more slowly at just under 46 percent.
High procurement and transport costs
The statisticians explained that the reasons for the well above-average price increase were not only the increased demand, especially since the outbreak of war in the Ukraine, but also the increased procurement and transport costs in the timber industry.
This is bad news for stove, fireplace and pallet heater owners. However, wood is rarely used as the primary heating medium. Renewable energy sources such as heat pumps are predominantly used in new buildings in particular: While these provide heat in a good half of the residential buildings completed in 2021, wood was the primary heating energy source in only 3.6 percent of the new buildings.
In addition, wood for heating is not without controversy. The Federal Environment Agency warns that methane and soot, which are harmful to the climate, are produced when they are burned.
Timber exports collapse
According to the report, Germany still exports more wood than it imports. Although exports have fallen by more than 30 percent in terms of volume. From March to July of this year, almost 311,000 tons of firewood and wood pellets worth around 79.0 million euros were exported to other countries, mainly to Italy, Austria and Denmark. The imports of firewood and wood pellets were somewhat lower: they fell by 1.6 percent to a good 223,800 tons in the period mentioned.