With the cold months approaching, people who heat with wood are still looking for firewood. In Northwestern Bulgaria it already "smells like winter" and preparations are in full swing. Although according to traders, demand decreases with each passing year, the prices of split wood vary between 150 and 170 leva per cubic meter.
75-year-old Tsvetana from the village of Blagovo and her husband have already lit the stove in their home in early October. To get through the winter months, the elderly family needs between 10 and 12 cubic meters of wood, reports Nova TV.
"This is our option for heating, because we are elderly people," shares Tsvetana. She recalls last year's situation, when the electricity went out for a whole week, and emphasizes that without the wood stove it would have been impossible to keep warm. The family processes the wood themselves, and this year they paid 110 leva per cubic meter. For her, the warmth from the fire remains the most expensive and cozy: "The warmth is completely different. As the old people say, the fire with honey".
At the same time, a wood processing warehouse in Montana still has requests for wood, although fewer than in previous years. According to traders, demand decreases by about 30% every year. "There is demand at the moment, orders are being delayed a bit due to weather conditions, due to the rain", explains one of them.
The price of cut and split wood in the warehouse varies from 150 to 160 leva per cubic meter, depending on whether it comes from state forestry or private forests. The most sought-after species in the region are oak, hornbeam, hornbeam and acacia. However, according to the trader, heating with wood is no longer cheaper than heating with electricity or gas, which is the main reason why people are increasingly turning to alternative heating methods.