Firewood prices hold steady as demand rises in Vorarlberg

Demand for firewood is rising in Vorarlberg, but prices have remained largely stable in recent years, ORF reports. A cubic metre of hardwood currently costs between 155 and 160 euros.

Thomas Ölz, head of forestry and environment at the Vorarlberg Chamber of Agriculture, said demand had picked up since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Firewood is also substantially cheaper than fossil fuels: in October, heat from logs cost about 7.3 cents per kilowatt-hour, compared with 15.4 cents for natural gas and 18.1 cents for heating oil, according to the Austrian Biomass Association.

Over the year, heating oil prices rose by more than 70 per cent and gas prices by almost nine per cent, while the price of logs increased by 1.8 per cent. Ölz said a slight decline in demand for local heating networks had offset the increased interest in conventional firewood.

Hardwood has risen from 112 euros per cubic metre in the 2021-22 season to 155 euros today. Most of that increase came in 2022, when prices climbed by nearly 27 per cent to 142 euros. Since then, the total rise has been about nine per cent. Softwood prices followed a similar trend, increasing from 81 to 106 euros per cubic metre.

Hardwood provides more energy per volume, while softwood is usually cheaper and easier to light. Ölz said some buyers use softwood such as fir to start a fire, then hardwood such as beech or ash to keep it burning.

He advised buyers to be cautious about unusually cheap offers online or in newspaper advertisements, since it can be difficult to check the wood’s moisture content and origin. Producers in Vorarlberg typically sell firewood with less than 20 per cent residual moisture, which supports cleaner and more efficient burning. Wood that is too wet produces more smoke, soot and fine dust.

Ölz also said firewood supports local businesses and replaces fossil fuels. He described it as climate-neutral and climate-positive.