Brits to fire up wood stoves to avoid freezing this winter - Telegraph

Suppliers of firewood in Britain project sales to soar by a fifth during the upcoming winter, as millions of households may opt to fire up wood stoves to help cope with soaring energy bills, The Daily Telegraph reported on Friday. 

According to Nic Snell, managing director at Certainly Wood, the UK’s largest firewood supplier, demand has already started to grow as consumers begin preparing for the onset of colder weather.  

“People are starting to stock up now, but I'd imagine we could see a 10% to 20% increase in demand this coming winter, because firewood prices have increased but nowhere near the rise seen in energy prices,” Snell said, as cited by the media. 

He pointed out that the amount of firewood needed to maintain a fire on evenings and weekends throughout the winter would cost around £600 ($710), while households heating homes using gas or electricity are expected to face spiraling energy bills over the coming months. 

Soaring prices for gas and electricity along with high volatility in energy markets are forcing regulators and analysts to bump up their already grim forecasts. According to the latest outlook from the UK independent energy consultancy Auxilione, average annual energy bills in Britain will soar to £6,000 (nearly $7,100) in 2023. People working from home are projected to be paying £683 ($808) per month by January.

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