Heating season: where and at what price to buy firewood?

In recent years, the population has largely strived to heat private homes with gas and electricity. Stoves, as devices for heating premises, are becoming less popular. But this does not mean that firewood has ceased to be in demand among the population.

The simplest way to stock up on them is to contact a fuel organisation.

On the eve of the cold weather, we went to the Lepel branch of UP "Vitebskobltop", better known in our district as "GorTop", to find out the price of firewood, how much can be ordered per household, and to get answers to many other questions.

On the premises of the enterprise, we were hospitably welcomed by the branch director Vyacheslav Masharo, who showed us the work process and spoke about the enterprise's activities.

Thus, we learned that the suppliers of wood, namely alder and birch, are the Lepel Forestry and the Lepel Timber Industry Enterprise. Peat briquettes are supplied from OJSC "Ditva Peat Briquette Plant" and OJSC "Lida Peat Briquette Plant".

-- Vyacheslav Pavlovich, what documents should a person provide when coming to you to order firewood for the winter?

-- A certificate of residence regarding family composition (issued by the Lepel settlement centre) and a passport are required, based on which a fuel booklet is issued. If the booklet is available, the person simply needs to come to us with their passport and place an order for the required type of fuel.

– Who can purchase firewood at a preferential price and what do they need to bring with them?

– The right to a discount is granted to participants and disabled veterans of the Great Patriotic War and those equated to them, as well as disabled persons of groups 1 and 2, living separately from able-bodied family members. In addition to the fuel booklet and passport, they need to bring a document confirming their eligibility for the discount.

– Can I order fuel in my name for a neighbour or acquaintances?

– The order is delivered precisely to the registered address of the fuel booklet holder. They can then give the firewood to whomever they wish.

-- A few words about the fuel supply norms? How does the price differ for exceeding the norm?

– The following norms for the supply of solid fuels sold to the population have been established.

at fixed prices, -- 3.5 tonnes of peat briquettes or 4.9 cubic meters of solid wood. When selling two types of fuel simultaneously, the ratio is calculated in accordance with the norm beforehand.

-- How much are firewood and briquettes, and does the cost depend on the mileage?

-- If we are talking about the city, then a norm of fuel briquettes at a fixed price will cost 120 rubles. For a norm of chopped firewood according to the fuel book – 250 rubles, for logs -- 170. If delivery is made outside the city, an additional charge for mileage is taken. Fuel on free sale is approximately 70 percent more expensive.

-- When does your busy season start?

-- Around May. But people do this not because we have long queues. We deliver both firewood and briquettes to the customer quickly -- within a couple of days. Many adhere to the principle: prepare your sleigh in the summer and your cart in the winter. After all, fresh firewood, harvested in the autumn, may not have time to dry by winter. But orders are still coming in: some are "hedging their bets" in case of a frosty long winter, others did not manage to stock up during the summer period. Thus, the enterprise is bustling with work all year round.

During the conversation, we also learned that split firewood has been more popular in recent years, and it is most often ordered by people of wise age.

Leaving the enterprise's territory, I can say with confidence that the management monitors the timeliness of delivery, the quality of products, and adheres to the motto: "Warmth and a smile in every home"!

***

Already on the way out, we met a resident of Lepel who was going to place an order:

-- My name is Sergey Mikhalchik. I came to buy firewood for my mother for a solid fuel boiler. But to use less of it, we also use peat briquettes.

Firewood burns quickly, generates heat, but it doesn't last long. But peat briquettes retain heat for a long time...

Natalia Khrapovitskaya. Newspaper "Lepel Krai"