Warm through the winter: Wood does not seem to be a real heating alternative to oil and gas – the raw material is now becoming scarce.
Kassel – It’s summer, the temperatures will climb well over 30 degrees again in the coming days. Hardly anyone thinks of freezing in this heat – actually. Because: Since Vladimir Putin restricted gas supplies from Russia to Germany as part of the Ukraine war, many fear having to freeze in winter when oil and gas become scarce or simply unaffordable.
Anyone who has the opportunity to be a little more independent of Russia by heating with wood makes use of it. But even that is not a panacea: Because the demand for firewood has risen sharply, this has now become rare. According to estimates by the Lower Saxony State Forests, there are even panic buying when it comes to wood.
Heating in winter: Like oil and gas, wood is becoming scarce and expensive
Almost parallel to the skyrocketing gas and heating oil prices, the rush to firewood dealers also exploded, reported Gerd Müller, head of the office of the Federal Association of Firewood in Kamen, the German Press Agency (dpa) . In many places, the demand can no longer be met: “The market is empty.”
The firewood dealers themselves no longer get supplies, said Niels Klahold, who sells firewood in the family business in Vellmar (Kassel district), to hessenschau.de . And with the increasing demand, the prices are also rising: According to Klahold, a loose cubic meter should actually cost between 160 and 180 euros – he currently charges 130 euros, last year the price was still 80 euros.
Wood shortage: If you want to heat with wood in winter, you shouldn’t be too euphoric
The reason for the price increase is “that firewood is a so-called substitute good and can replace oil or gas,” said Frank Kienle, Managing Director of the Industrial Association for House, Heating and Kitchen Technology (HKI) in Frankfurt to hessenschau.de . The providers followed the oil and gas prices with an increase – nevertheless the price for firewood is still around 40 percent below the gas and oil prices and that is why, according to Kienle, it is so popular.
The wood is becoming scarce because of the ban on felling beech stocks that Hessenforst had issued. The so-called beech moratorium states that beech stands that are more than 100 years old may only be cultivated if this serves to ensure road safety.
Heating with wood: Both the raw material and stoves are becoming scarce
Among other things, nature conservation is a top priority for Klahold, but if the “beech trees die uselessly”, that’s of no use to anyone – not even nature conservation. Trees that are diseased or uprooted by the wind may no longer be felled. Due to the current situation, Klahold calls for hessenschau.de to suspend the moratorium on beech.
Because the demand for stoves has risen sharply, these are also becoming scarce. Is it still worth switching to heating with wood? Or is it enough to follow a few tips for saving gas in the home? (Lea-Sophie Mollus)
