Firewood | “In practice, there are only enough clappers for a few” – Now are the last moments to buy wood for the winter

If wants firewood for the coming winter, you should act quickly, reveals HS’s call round to sellers across Finland.

Halkokauppa, which supplies firewood to the surrounding areas of Lappeenranta, sold out of birch clappers before Midsummer, says the entrepreneur Samu Savolainen. There are still pine cones left – and not many of them anymore.

“Now we expect late checkers. In practice, there are only a few clappers,” says Savolainen.

According to Savolainen, the peak of sales is getting earlier every year. The background is the uncertainty in energy prices caused by the war in Ukraine.

“It is not known what electricity or heating oil will cost, so people prepare more.”

Also trees to be delivered to areas such as Pirkanmaa and Häme Tauno Ilomäki urges you to be quick.

“You definitely have to order immediately. There are really few trees at the end of the year.”

There are still some trees left in Ilomäki Puukauppa, but the demand is now “really strong”. They are starting to have a spike now, when people start putting their winter storage in order.

“I think that quite a few sellers have already run out of trees,” says Ilomäki.

Yard is now valuable, and it is also reflected in the price of firewood, says Ilomäki. They have increased their prices by about 10 percent this year.

In many companies, prices will be raised further at the beginning of September, when the general value added tax rate will rise. The price of a dry birch bulk cube that costs 95 euros in the Ilomäki Wood Store will be increased to 100 euros.

Klapitehdas, which supplies firewood to Uusimaa, made a general price increase in advance already last year, says the entrepreneur Tommi Lönnrot. In connection with the VAT increase, their prices will also be slightly increased.

“And they say there is still upward pressure on raw material costs,” says Lönnrot.

According to Lönnrot, wood is very available, but you should no longer dream about cheap lots.

“They went already in June.”

Raw wood the price has increased every year since the start of the war in Ukraine. It is reflected quite directly in the consumer prices of firewood, says the research manager of the Confederation of Agricultural and Forestry Producers (MTK) Kalle Karttunen.

From the corresponding time of the previous year, the price of softwood has risen by about 25 percent on average. In comparison, the price of birch fiber has risen the most, says Karttunen.

Before 2022, birch was imported from Russia. When the import stopped, according to Karttunen, it was bought from Finland as much as it was technically possible to add.

In addition, the demand for raw wood has increased: for example, the use of wood chips has increased, in addition to the end of imports from Russia, and the reduction of peat use. Firewood sellers compete for the same raw wood as, for example, pulp companies and energy utilities, says Karttunen.

“After all, it will be sold to whoever pays the most.”

Despite the price increase, Karttunen also believes that the demand for firewood is strong now.

“Several winters have been cold, and there have been increases in electricity prices. People have learned to stock up on firewood.”

Consumers the anticipation doesn’t seem to be abating. According to Halkouppa’s Samu Savolainen, more than a third of the company’s next year’s production has already been reserved.

“The number of pre-orders has increased even more drastically than last year.”

In addition to acting quickly, Savolainen advises to buy enough firewood at once to last until July.

“The amount of wood should be measured practically from Midsummer to Midsummer”, advises Savolainen.