Energy: Fear of cold: Stove and firewood scarce
energy
Fear of freezing: lack of stove and firewood
Fireplaces and wood-burning stoves have become rare across the country during the Ukraine War.
photo: Silas Stein/DPA
Concerns about the Ukraine war and energy supplies have upset many civilians. The result: The demand for wood-burning stoves is like never before. But even the oven does not guarantee heat if there is no firewood.
by Carsten Hofer, dpa 01.07.2022, 11:54
St. Augustine. Wood-burning stoves and firewood have become scarce across the country in the wake of the Ukraine War. Furnace builders and installers rarely save themselves from orders from concerned customers who want to install an additional heating option in their home or apartment.
“When the war broke out, demand exploded,” a spokesman for the Central Association for Sanitary, Heating and Air Conditioning (ZVSHK) in St. Augustin said upon request.
But even a stove doesn’t guarantee a warmer living room next winter: because even firewood dealers face a nationwide rush of customers and can no longer meet the hugely increased demand in many places. . “The market is empty,” says Gerd Müller, head of the Federal Firewood Association’s office in Kamen.
great uncertainty
The triggers are apparently skyrocketing gas and oil prices, as well as concerns that heating could remain cold next winter. “People are upset or scared,” says the Central Association for Sanitary, Heating and Air Conditioning. At least some customers probably won’t get their stove before the end of next winter. According to ZVSHK, the waiting time is one year in some cases. There are around 2,000 furnace manufacturing companies across the country.
So the race at Stowe is not limited to Germany. “Usage runs through the entire federal territory, even across Europe. We know that from exchanges with European allies.»
Like other trades and industries, stove builders are also prone to delivery problems, leading to delays in the processing of orders. This doesn’t just affect imported parts, many of which come from China.
ZVSHK explains, “Due to high demand and due to personnel difficulties in relation to COVID-19, products produced in Germany are also affected by distribution problems.” The association cites fireclay as an example – these are the refractory stones with which the furnace’s combustion chamber is lined.
long drying time
For firewood, there is another reason for the shortage. Wood is not rare, as Muller points out. “Firewood must be dried.” Air-drying would take two years and take up vast storage areas, so merchants “technically” dried their wood with gusts of wind.
But the capabilities are limited. “It’s almost impossible to get dry firewood this year,” Muller says. About 100 companies are members of the Federal Firewood Association, which, according to Mueller, exclusively markets firewood from local production.
Wood has not been spared from the general rise in fuel prices. This applies to firewood as well as wood pellets. According to data from the German Pellet Institute, their average price has nearly doubled since January 2021 – from EUR 238.05 at the time to EUR 431.56 per tonne in June. However, according to the Pellet Institute, the cost per kilowatt hour is still significantly lower than that of oil or gas heating.
basically climate neutral
For years, the stove has been a thorn in the side of some environmentalists. In theory, wood burning is considered climate-neutral because it releases only as much CO2 as the tree has absorbed over the course of its life – however, stipulated that the trees grow back in the same number.
Pellets are therefore one of the renewable energies, and there are state subsidies for the installation of a pellet heating system. Firewood is considered more problematic. The Federal Environment Agency warns that soot and other pollutants are especially produced in older, non-low-emission stoves. If stove owners can stockpile wood in good time, stoves in many German residential areas will burn more frequently in the coming winter than before.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220701-99-873676/2 (by Carsten Hofer, dpa)
