Demand for firewood soars in Austria amid gas supply fears

Demand for firewood and wood pellets is soaring in Austria, according to the country's chamber of commerce, as Europeans look for alternative energy supplies. 

Even before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the number of wood-fired heating systems had increased by 38% in 2021, compared with the previous year.

It comes after Gazprom on Saturday suspended gas deliveries to Italy via Austria, citing regulatory issues in the latter country. 

While Brussels says storage tanks across the European bloc are now filled to 88% capacity, the International Energy Agency says, EU countries need to reduce their gas consumption by a further 13% in case of a complete Russian cut-off.