Firewood demand up as heating fuel costs rise
06 November, 2022
Demand for wood fuel is high this year, as rising heating costs have more people turning to alternative sources to supplement their heating costs. But costs for suppliers are also on the rise, leading to increased prices for homeowners looking to firewood this winter.
Andrew Robblee, owner of Robblee Tree Service in Antrim and Rindge, said there is certainly more demand for firewood this year than in previous years.
“More people are buying it, or people are buying more of it,” Robblee said. “More people are supplementing with wood.”
Local firewood suppliers said other pressures, including the high diesel and gas prices, are driving up their prices this year, but increases in home heating oil, propane and electricity have led to more people looking to supplement heating with wood this year.
While people are turning to wood as a way to combat rising fuel costs, or other every day costs impacted by inflation, Robblee said those same rising costs are affecting the price of wood.
The cost of Robblee’s cords of wood rose from $320 to $400 this year, he said, but despite the increase in cost, more people than ever are buying. Robblee said firewood is not his main line of business, but he usually sells between 250 and 300 cords of wood in a year, and during this time of year, usually delivers about a cord a day. But a few weeks ago, in a single day, he received about 40 calls requesting firewood.
“My inventory has never been this low at this time of year,” Robblee said.
Robblee said most people purchase firewood earlier in the year, but said those who begin to search for it now, may be caught off guard.
Mark Reed, owner of Reed’s Tree Service in Keene, said demand has been higher for firewood since the Spring.
“There were more people buying than in previous years,” Reed said.
Reed, who receives his firewood logs from a supplier, said it is harder to source this year, both because of increased demand, and because suppliers are also selling to other wood markets, including wood pulp for paper, which also is in high demand right now.
David Bourgoine of Bourgoine Logging & Firewood in Peterborough, agreed with that assessment, saying lumber suppliers can make more by selling to wood pulp markets.
“That takes a lot of wood off the market,” Bourgoine said.
Bourgoine also had to raise his prices this year, from $325 a cord to $400, but said business has still been “hot and heavy” all summer.
Bourgoine sells seasoned firewood, which has to dry for a year before it can be sold, and said a lot of his current remaining supply is still drying and not suitable for burning this year.
“We have a little left now, but not too much,” Bourgoine said.
Matt Mair, owner of Black Moose Chimney and Stove in Antrim, said this year has been busier than ever for his company.
“We started getting calls from people who have never used their stoves, or haven’t for years, but were looking to cut their heating bill,” Mair said. “Some of them are sketchy because they’ve lacked maintenance over the last few years, but people are willing to dump some money into the repairs, to supplement their heating costs.”
Call volume for Black Moose Chimeney and Stove is up by 25 to 30 percent, Mair said, and their booking schedule filled up in June, and they are now scheduling appointments as far out as January — both of which are unusual, he said. Usually, their schedule has openings until August, when the cold hits and their busies season begins, and they usually would not have such a long back log, Mair said.
Mair said he, himself, uses both wood stoves and a pellet stove in his home and a stove in his office to supplement his heat, and was also hoping to increase his wood use this year – but struggled to get the supply to do so.
“I ordered twice what I usually do — but only could get half of what I ordered,” Mair said. “So I’ll be okay, but if people are starting to look now, it’s going to be tough to get supply.”
Mair, who is also a member of the Antrim Fire Department, cautioned homeowners not to skip or skimp on checking their stoves and chimneys if they plan to heat with wood this year.
“Get it inspected by a qualified professional – especially if you have an older house,” Mair said. “Get it inspected, and do the necessary repairs. Don’t try to sneak by and hope that nothing happens, because if that something happens, it could be a tragedy.”
Source: www.sentinelsource.com