Designer Logs

[Michael C]

Hi Sam

 

In my original post I called it Arb Waste/Arisings.

 

My supply will last, plus I have my own woodland in which further planting will take place shortly.

 

Keith

 

What do you consider a 'fair' price for a cubic metre of hardwood firewood then, for a firewood supplier that has to buy his/her timber in, process it, store/season it, and deliver it to the customer 12 months later?

[Joy Yeomans]

query please ash, how big is you woodland?

[ash1]

What do you consider a 'fair' price for a cubic metre of hardwood firewood then, for a firewood supplier that has to buy his/her timber in, process it, store/season it, and deliver it to the customer 12 months later?

 

 

Michael

 

It’s not what I consider a fair price the market will decide. There is plenty of firewood out there starting at about £25 for a builder’s bag and its good quality and I know this because I collected three bags a few weeks ago for a friend, seasoned hardwood.

The problem you guys have is that you are competing with firms and individuals who have wood as a by product they don’t pay for the raw material they split with an axe or maul and throw it in a bag, done. It doesn’t matter how much you spend on processors, cord wood, fuel etc you have to be competitive and I personally don’t think that £120 or even £140 per cube is.

It no good saying because you’re more expensive it’s a better product because from what I’ve seen that argument just doesn’t stack up.

I can see why it’s such an emotive subject because you are all trying to make a living but you will have to be competitive to stay in business.

 

Keith

[ash1]

query please ash, how big is you woodland?

 

Joy

 

8.5Acres in total plus invitations to remove local trees.

 

Keith

[Sam Thompson]

You have to be competitive and I personally don’t think that £120 or even £140 per cube is.

 

What you think does not represent what everyone round here does! You can shift seasoned hardwoods at £125 a cube all day long (Cheshire). I had someone ring me up from Lancaster yesterday wanting mixed softwoods at up to £100 a ton, I sent them to the directory on here.

 

What do you do for a living? I'm not about to pick you apart or anything, just nosey

[farmer_ben]

Michael

 

It’s not what I consider a fair price the market will decide. There is plenty of firewood out there starting at about £25 for a builder’s bag and its good quality and I know this because I collected three bags a few weeks ago for a friend, seasoned hardwood.

The problem you guys have is that you are competing with firms and individuals who have wood as a by product they don’t pay for the raw material they split with an axe or maul and throw it in a bag, done. It doesn’t matter how much you spend on processors, cord wood, fuel etc you have to be competitive and I personally don’t think that £120 or even £140 per cube is.

It no good saying because you’re more expensive it’s a better product because from what I’ve seen that argument just doesn’t stack up.

I can see why it’s such an emotive subject because you are all trying to make a living but you will have to be competitive to stay in business.

 

Keith

 

I think location is the key Kieth, as far as im aware no one around here is selling anywhere near to £25 a dumpie bag. If chaps in the area are you have to adjust prices accordingly, like your hinting at. But when my rival up the road is shifting pick up loads at £130 ill price my loads according to his

[farmer_ben]

I dont understand why people are so scared of putting log prices up?! I have bottled gas central heating and in November it was £46 a bottle, now its £59, everyone in the area has put there prices up together so everyone has to pay it simple as that. same with Electricity, it looks like everyone will be putting the prices up 15-20% in the next few months, everyone does it so people have to pay it. people selling a cube for £40-50 is surely less sustainable than selling it at £120, they will soon realise there not making enough money and not bother any more. If everyone charged around the same price everyone would win, it happens in most other industries!

 

YOu speak sense ash, but id say firewood has more cowboys wacking cheap loads out, these boys would rather sell 5 £30 loads than one £150 load!!!! I know chaps around here sending out trailer loads at £50, my load is same size roughly but will be £100 instead of there £50, they probably have twice as many customers than me but I am happily doing it my way

[ash1]

What you think does not represent what everyone round here does! You can shift seasoned hardwoods at £125 a cube all day long (Cheshire). I had someone ring me up from Lancaster yesterday wanting mixed softwoods at up to £100 a ton, I sent them to the directory on here.

 

What do you do for a living? I'm not about to pick you apart or anything, just nosey

 

 

 

Sam

 

I buy property and develop it plus sell stoves as a pastime in the winter months.

 

Keith

[coppiceer]

This is a very interesting thread. I grow trees and produce my own firewood. We have a combined woodburning stove/gas boiler central heating system.

 

From my own experience of the work involved I think that the "high" prices involved are thoroughly justified. However, on reflection I wouldn't pay for wood if there was any other alternative available. Partly because the price differential with gas (for example) is not high enough but mainly because when the woodburner is lit someone has to be responsible for keeping it going and maintaining the heat levels: with gas central heating you just switch the system on and forget about it.

 

We have to negotiate on a "fire-monkey" rota for who has to keep the woodbunrer topped-up. This often involves some free and frank exchanges of views about who's turn it is.

[Fahrenheit]

The thing is that the majority of people aren't running their central heating on wood. Most are on mains gas. Gas is cheaper and always will be if your having to pay the going rate for firewood.

 

My customer have wood burners generally because they look pretty. They are happy to pay £110 a load. There is a guy local to me charging £140 for the same size load and he's very busy! So busy he wont travel further than a 10 mins drive from his yard now.

 

At the end of the day it isn't the fault of the firewood supplier that someone would run their central heating on wood. Fair do's if your not on mains gas but if oil or LPG is cheaper then change to them. I get my wood at £55 for 1.2 cube but still use my mains gas central heating for the majority of the time. I use my wood burner as i like the look and cosy feel of it.

Edited June 11, 2011 by Fahrenheit