Pellet prices rise 12% as customers delay buying for winter

Pellet prices in Carinthia have risen 12 percent since February, leaving customers uncertain about when to stock up for winter, ORF reported. A tonne currently costs an average of 399 euros, while the price is about 100 euros higher than it was a year ago.

Autumn is traditionally the time when households buy their fuel supplies. But high prices for heating oil and pellets are prompting many consumers to wait and hope for a fall, while others fear prices could rise further.

Jürgen Kopeinig, a consumer protection expert at the Carinthian Chamber of Labour, said the rise in pellet prices was difficult to understand. While the increase in heating oil prices could be explained by the war in Iran, he said the cost of pellets had not been affected to the same extent by the price of their basic materials, such as sawdust.

Pellet producers often cite higher gas prices because gas is used to dry the wood shavings, Kopeinig said. However, he added that the increase was still not justified to this extent.

Experts at the Chamber of Labour are being asked for advice by consumers concerned about the price trend. They say prices are difficult to predict, but a significant fall in the near future is considered unlikely. Pellets remain cheaper than heating oil over the long term, while the recent increase may also be linked to rising demand.