As Bulgaria braces for another winter, fewer households are relying on wood for heating, despite lower prices at state forestry farms.
While wood remains the primary fuel source in mountainous and semi-mountainous regions, supply challenges persist, particularly for elderly residents who struggle with chopping and storing firewood.
The situation is especially difficult for people like 88-year-old Asya Sarieva, who, despite the high cost, plans to heat her mountain home with wood again this winter due to occasional power outages.
According to a report from bTV, Sarieva has noted a rise in firewood costs, with an additional expense for chopping and packaging through private companies.
Although state forestry farms are offering firewood at prices 17% lower than last year, the demand for wood remains weak.
Eng. Anatoli Elev, director of the State Forestry in Smilyan, suggests that mild winter temperatures last year might have caused many to stock up on wood, reducing current demand.
“The price for one cubic meter of beech wood is 58 leva, including VAT, with transportation costs ranging from 300 to 450 leva depending on the delivery location,” Elev stated. He also mentioned that softwood is priced at 48 leva per cubic meter.
Eng. Asen Karabov, deputy director of the South Central State Enterprise in Smolyan, reported a significant drop in sales this year.
“So far, we’ve sold 168,000 cubic meters of wood, supplying approximately 25,000 households,” he said. This marks a substantial decrease from the same period last year when 35,000 households purchased 258,000 cubic meters of wood—a 30% drop in sales.
One of the factors driving up heating costs is the high transportation fees, which remain steep despite the lower price of firewood from state forestry farms.
Additionally, fewer people are splitting the wood themselves, and those who require this service face additional charges of up to 150 leva per cubic meter.
Households relying on wood for heating are likely to face higher prices for the upcoming winter season. Though state forestry officials promised a 20% reduction in wood prices earlier this year, recent reports indicate that prices will be 8-10% higher than last year.
According to data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI), more than 60% of Bulgarian households still rely on wood and coal for heating.
Less than 20% have access to central heating, and a similar proportion use electric heating systems like air conditioners. Among those using solid fuels, at least half depend on wood as their primary source of heat.
Firewood prices saw a significant drop between the first and second quarters of this year. For example, the price of coniferous wood sold by the root, where customers fell trees themselves, decreased from 45.38 leva in the spring to 30.45 leva in the summer. However, compared to last summer, this price represents a 10% increase.
The prices at state forestry farms don’t account for additional costs like transportation and splitting. For instance, coniferous wood is sold at 74 leva per cubic meter at Bolyarka State Forestry in Veliko Tarnovo. Hardwood, more expensive, is sold for over 100 leva per cubic meter when fully prepared for sale.
Meanwhile, technological wood, used in industries such as furniture-making, has seen less price inflation than firewood, with some types even experiencing price drops, according to NSI data.
As winter approaches, the shift away from wood heating highlights the broader economic pressures on Bulgarian households, particularly for those in rural regions where access to alternative heating sources remains limited.