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Energy prices drive demand for wood and coal
STORY: Fuel prices have been at record highs for weeks. It is unclear in which direction the price spiral will turn. Many private individuals continue to stock up on firewood and coal. At the Berlin fuel dealer Richard Kögler, there is therefore no sign of spring and the end of the heating period. His workers tirelessly load the flatbed truck with firewood as well as wood and coal briquettes. “Normally the season ends now and because it is very uncertain what will happen with the gas, many are already pouring in for next year. And of course it is very difficult to get these masses up at the moment. And of course you have to also be careful. You can see that the customers who still have to heat up now and they need 3 or 4 centners so that you can supply them.” Demand for wood has been increasing for some time, says the trader, but things are getting really tight for coal now. “It’s not like, let’s say, everyone is ordering because gas is getting so expensive. People are ordering now because they’re afraid they won’t get anything at all, because coal prices are linked to gas prices , for whatever reason. So when the gas goes up, so do the coal prices. So the gap always stays the same. Only they’re afraid that there won’t be anything at all.” Perhaps Susanne Gasden is not afraid. But she wants to be prepared. She has had a fresh supply of firewood brought to her. This would allow her to continue to keep her apartment warm if there were problems with the gas supply. Mrs. Gasden has had the necessary stoves in her apartment for a long time. If you still want to buy a wood stove now, you have to be prepared for longer delivery times. Stove and chimney builder Erik Paßow is currently expecting a waiting time of up to 22 weeks. Supply chains and production have been stuck for a long time, says Paßow. But with the war in Ukraine, the demand for him has increased again.
More and more people rely on the good old stove for heating.