Imagine this: while Serbia is roasting at +35 degrees Celsius, crowds of people are already rushing to firewood yards as if winter is just around the corner! Yes, you read that right. The demand for firewood and pellets this year is so high that yards are literally packed with buyers, and prices? Mostly stable, but with some unjustified hikes that will make you wonder where this world is heading.
Experts like Professor Branko Glavonjić from the Faculty of Forestry in Belgrade warn that now is the perfect time to buy heating fuel. Why? Because dry, seasoned wood and quality pellets are the key to efficient and cheaper heating during winter. Almost half of Serbian households still heat with wood, while about 20% use pellets. Prices for a cubic meter of wood mostly range between 6 and 9 dinars, and a ton of pellets between 28 and 30 dinars. However, some suppliers have taken drastic steps and demand up to 35 dinars per ton of pellets, which experts call unjustified and unfair.
To make things even more interesting, a new regulation will come into force in September to regulate the heating fuel market. All sellers will have to provide declarations guaranteeing the accuracy of the quantity and quality of wood, with a maximum moisture content of 35%. Pellets will only be allowed to be sold if they meet the prescribed quality standards of class A1 or A2. This should put an end to wild prices and dishonest traders, but will it really succeed?
If you thought this was just another seasonal story, think again. The demand for heating fuel this year is higher than ever, despite the tropical heat waves roasting us in summer. People are clearly ready to secure their supplies in time because no one wants to face winter freezing with empty firewood buckets.
While yards fill up and prices hold or unjustifiably rise, ask yourself – is this just the beginning of chaos in the heating fuel market, or will we finally get order and justice with the new regulation? Or maybe it’s time for all of us to learn to buy smart and not give money to those trying to rip us off.
Anyway, if you’ve already bought heating fuel or plan to, drop a comment below and share your experience – did you find fair prices or did you get burned? Let the voice of the people be heard, because who knows, maybe your story will save someone money and nerves this winter!
