Firewood shortage is on the rise amid rising prices

Wood prices are rising, in addition to a growing shortage. Firewood suppliers are unanimous: there won’t be enough logs for everyone this winter. In everything, “between 7.5 and 8 million French households are equipped with wood-fired heating (logs and pellets combined)according to a 2019 report from the National Committee for Timber Development. The Environment and Energy Agency (Ademe) indicates on its website that it is the government’s ambition to increase the number of wood-heated homes to 9.5 million by 2023 and 11.3 million by 2028.

“Ademe has made a lot of advertising for pellet heating in recent weeks, which has been installed by many craftsmen. But this has led to a sharp increase in the wood price», regrets Gérard Fellous, manager of Quality-bûches. Not only “the price of pellets has tripled in the last six months, which has also increased the price of logs and our loads“, the retailer adds. Since June, the price of unprocessed wooden pallets has risen by 20%, forcing Gérard Fellous to implement this price increase for his customers: “I’ve seen three price increases since the beginning of the summer, which are just domino prices from my supplier“.

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According to him, “demand has increased tenfold since July» while it generally doesn’t start until the fall. “Without advertising, I receive about a hundred calls a day, which I forward directly to voicemail. It never existed, it’s unique», Gérard Fellous is surprised. Same comment for Julian, a firewood supplier who “never seen [sa] to live“. He gets about forty calls a day, compared to just five during normal times.”I hope winter doesn’t get harsh, otherwise it will be very complicatedhe is concerned.

“Newcomers who have smelled the goose that lays the golden egg”

Julian thus limits the number of cubic meters per person to five for a single delivery. These one cubic meter bales of wood are starting to run out at retailers, and “no one will have enough supplies“Warns Gérard Fellous. A similar situation for Patrick Heib, reseller in the Moselle: “There is no stock anywhere, I keep my steres for my loyal customers, hoping to last until the end of winter.“Normally sold between 55 and 57 euros each, the cubic meter of wood is today between 60 and 65 euros at this trader.

In 2020-2021, French demand for wood was 1.8 million tons, rising to 2 million tons in 2021-2022. A figure that explodes to 2.4 million tons of wood for the winter of 2022-2023, according to estimates by the French Federation of Fuels. A fad that has not gone unnoticed by suppliers. “My producer informed me about the arrival of many newcomers, who smelled the golden goose. At timber auctions, they always buy at the highest price and disrupt the market. The elderly are retiringobserves Gérard Fellous, who founded his company in 2003.

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In addition, the amendment of the regulations on 1^er September, which requires resellers to provide their customers with more information about their wood: species, length, quantity and moisture content. From September 2023, logs of less than two meters – and therefore cubic meters – may only be dry wood. The amount of logs will therefore decrease, knowing that it takes an average of 18 to 24 months to dry the wood.

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