Due to the sharp rise in energy prices, the demand for wood-burning stoves in Germany has increased significantly. “We currently have 60 to 75 percent more requests for advice this year than in previous years,” said the spokesman for the Federal Association of Chimney Sweeps, Andreas Walburg, of the German Press Agency. “That’s simply because gas, oil and electricity prices have exploded.” However, everyone has to calculate for themselves, because the wood prices have also risen significantly.
Like many others, house and apartment owners also have another concern. “Many are afraid of a blackout and therefore want more alternatives to heat their house so that they are not out in the cold in winter.” According to the association, there are around 11.3 million single-room fireplaces for solid fuels throughout Germany, including stoves, fireplace inserts, open fireplaces and heating stoves. Most sites would operate with a closed firebox. Hardly anyone still has the open fireplaces that were modern in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, these would be regarded as “energy guzzlers”.
Warning about used ovens
If you still want to have a stove installed for this winter, it will probably be tight. “Some stove studios have delivery times of up to six months. The manufacturers can’t keep up,” reported Walburg, who is a district chimney sweep himself. However, he urgently warned against buying a used stove at flea markets or Internet portals. “You often don’t know whether the fireplace is still approved at all.”
Last week, the chimney sweeps’ guild of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania gave tips for the right wood. Basically, you should make sure that the firewood has been stored and dried for two to three years. Hardwood such as beech, oak or birch is best. The logs should also always be adapted to the fireplace and the size of the firebox and cut to the right length.
