In rural areas, and particularly in northern Greece, the majority of consumers made the switch last year, opting mostly for fireplaces and wood stoves, while demand for wood and pellets has soared.

Demand for wood is showing a 100 percent increase compared with last year. Traders estimate there will be a serious shortage this winter while the average price of firewood has risen by some 10 percent from last year.

High demand for wood has led to a massive increase in illegal logging in mountainous regions of the country, where forests and even orchards are being depleted, along with a rise in illegal sales. There has also been a considerable increase in wood imports from Bulgaria, which, according to traders, covers some 90 percent of demand in Macedonia.

The market estimates that this year’s rise in the price of heating oil means it’s 60 percent cheaper to heat one’s home by burning wood, with urban dwellers catching on fast despite the technical difficulties of building a fireplace or installing a wood stove in apartments.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite2_1_10/09/2012_460618