Current firewood prices per m2

[doobin]

What are folk at? Cordwood prices are stupid.

 

We are selling with around a 50% conversion rate £120 a m3. Thinking it needs to be more, much more. Obviously we are early in the season, the have a go heroes need to clear stock first. But if this is the only proper cold weather we will get, then seems silly not to sell whilst we can. Just won’t be buying any timber in except as an when we can locally at fair money. 

[GarethM]

Depends where you are in the country to be honest.

 

You will get more for kiln dried, but at the same time charge too much and people will either buy at 120 or turn the gas on.

[Woodworks]

£240 for 2 cube for us. Put it up 10% back in April

 

Unless your kilning no need to pass the extra price of cord on to customers today as the logs it makes wont be going out until later next year. 

[gdh]

We're between £85 and £97 a cube with our smallest load being 1.8 cube. Probably going to put it up £5 in the new year to cover the increased purchase costs. I like to sell at the same price we're buying in to avoid big price increases.

 

At the moment we have enough stored luckily (although we're paying a fortune) drying is our biggest issue.

[doobin]

1 hour ago, Woodworks said:

£240 for 2 cube for us. Put it up 10% back in April

 

Unless your kilning no need to pass the extra price of cord on to customers today as the logs it makes wont be going out until later next year. 

But then you run the risk of having expensive stock next year if prices come down again. Better to have it on par with current cord prices IMHO.

 

What are people being quoted for cordwod? I was quoted £2500 cash for an arctic of processor ash last week!

[GarethM]

Well, sale price wise it's not going below £120 even next year.

 

You can only know many m3 can you get out of an average artic load to work your numbers. Plus remember probably 300+ of that 2.5k will be diesel for the delivery.

 

Personally if any more than 120 at the moment, then the gas boiler goes on.

Edited December 10, 2022 by GarethM

[Woodsman1967]

£125 for a cube of 2 year old air dried mainly Ash . Pretty much sold out already (around 300 cube) and now turning people away . I put it up £25 from last year and haven't lost a single customer . Others around me (East Anglia) are now at £140-£170 per cube . Demand has been crazy , just wish I had more . I'll be putting it up similary again next year if the current economic climate stays the same .

[Stere]

What profit margin are people aiming for per cube?

 

Im guessing it has to be £125 to have the same profit as if it was £80 5ys back.

 

Of course costs vary alot.

 

 

 

 

 

Proably still not  much money in it as most of the the broadleaf estate woodlands are still mostly unmanaged.

 

 

Broadleaf woods are estimated to grow/replenish 4m3 per ha a yr in the UK.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Big J]

Crazy prices throughout. A sign of the times though. It was only about 5 years ago really that I was charging £55-65/cubic metre (plus delivery charge) for soft and hardwood out of the sawmill. 

 

31 minutes ago, Stere said:

Probably still not  much money in it as most of the the broadleaf estate woodlands are still mostly unmanaged.

 

 

Broadleaf woods are estimated to grow/replenish 4m3 per ha a yr in the UK.

 

 

You raise a good point. 

 

Broadleaves are not an efficient method of producing firewood. You are far better off with conifer or eucalyptus. Much shorter production cycles and mechanical harvesting vastly reduce production to roadside costs. Then, the actual firewood processing is much faster too (straight logs). These savings can then be passed on to the eventual customer whilst maintaining the same profit margin for all in the production line.

 

Prices for firewood here in Sweden have risen a bit too, but you can still pick up very cheap firewood. Mixed or purely spruce is around about £40-50 a cube (collected) and pure birch about 50% more. 

[Squaredy]

It is worth remembering that one of the biggest competitors to firewood is natural gas and electricity.  Both of these have increased in price by about 100% in the last year or so.  If you supply a good firewood product why shouldn’t your price rise by 30 or 40% if need be?  Demand for firewood is through the roof so I hardly think all our customers will go elsewhere.