Order firewood, coal or pellets with delivery: sellers’ prices
Stacked metre, tonne, bag: what to count in
The most confusion with firewood is in the units. A stacked cubic metre is a cubic metre of logs piled in a stack, while a loose cubic metre holds much less wood because of the air between the logs. Some sellers go by weight instead. So “8 metres” without clarification can be compared only by name. Coal and pellets are bought by the tonne or in bags, and here again you need to know how much is in a bag.
In your request, say plainly what you are counting in, and ask the sellers to reply in the same units.
What affects quality and price
- Type of wood: dense hardwoods burn long and give a lot of heat, while softer woods burn faster but light more easily. Resinous softwoods leave more tar.
- Moisture: fresh wood burns worse and fouls the chimney more. Dry wood that has been stored for at least a season is much more efficient.
- Size: the length of the log must suit your stove or boiler; split and sawn wood cost differently.
- For coal, the size grade and ash content; for pellets, the diameter, ash content and colour (lighter ones are usually cleaner).
- Packing: loose, in bags or in big bags: this affects both convenience and price.
How ordering works on BlaBlaPrice
Searching for suppliers in different villages and calling each can be replaced by one request. You describe what, how much, where and by when, and you can add one photo, for example of your yard or woodshed. The request is checked, and you are told what the sellers still need.
Sellers in your region reply in the chat: the price, moisture, the way of delivery, the date. They can see where their offer ranks and can improve their terms. The platform shows the offer with the best overall terms first, with reviews next to it. You open your phone number only for the one you choose. The principles are explained here: “How it works”.
What to put in your request
- Type of fuel — split firewood, coal, pellets, briquettes, charcoal.
- Type of wood or grade — for example, acacia.
- Quantity — in stacked cubic metres, tonnes or bags.
- Moisture — dry, kiln-dried or ordinary.
- Size — log length or size grade.
- Packing — loose, bags of 25 kg.
- Address and delivery dates, and whether a truck can get in.
- Budget, if you want to state it.
Example: “I need 2 tonnes of dry split firewood, acacia or similar hardwood, logs of 30 cm. Delivery to Dehradun by the end of October, a truck can get to the house. Budget up to $160 per tonne.”
How to avoid mistakes when comparing
Ask how the seller measures the quantity: stacked metre, loose metre or by weight. If possible, ask them to show a photo of the batch. Check whether delivery, unloading and stacking are included. When it arrives, you can re-measure the stack: a stacked metre is easy to calculate from length, height and width.
It is best to order firewood in advance, before the season, because it needs time to dry. If you buy pellets, make sure they are stored dry, because damp makes them crumble.
For heating a house you sometimes need other fuel too, in which case see fuel, and the full list of raw materials is in the “Raw materials” section.
