Firewood in Switzerland: Questions and Answers

A ster is a stacked cubic meter: a pile of logs 1 m wide, 1 m high and 1 m deep, including the air between the logs. It holds only about 0.6 to 0.7 m³ of solid wood. More in What is a ster of firewood.

That depends on the species and on moisture. With our dry wood (under 18% moisture), a ster of beech weighs about 450 kg and a ster of birch about 420 kg. Softwood is lighter, fresh wood much heavier.

About 1.4 to 1.6 ster. WSL uses 1.6 ster per solid cubic meter for 33 cm logs, BAFU 0.7 solid cubic meters per ster (about 1.4 ster).

At 20% water content, a ster of beech gives about 1,900 kWh of heat and a ster of spruce about 1,300 kWh (Holzenergie Schweiz on behalf of BAFU, table A9: beech 1,887 kWh, spruce 1,334 kWh).

Per ster, hardwood delivers more energy than softwood. In the BAFU table at 20% water content, oak with 1,931 kWh and beech with 1,887 kWh lead, followed by pine with 1,518 kWh and spruce with 1,334 kWh per ster. Overall, the energy content of hardwood per cubic meter is about 40% higher than that of softwood. We sell beech and birch.

As a guide: 1 ster for a fireplace that burns regularly, 2 ster for a wood stove (wood finder). For a whole house, calculate from your heating oil use: 1,000 liters of heating oil equal 5 to 6 ster of hardwood (EnergieSchweiz). You will find a checklist in Firewood for winter.

For dry, oven-ready logs (33 cm, without delivery), the Swiss Farmers' Union has recommended since September 28, 2026 160 to 170 francs per ster of softwood, 170 to 190 francs for mixed hardwood, 180 to 220 francs for beech and 200 to 220 francs for birch. With us, a ster of stacked beech costs CHF 329.00, including delivery and stacking. All details are in Firewood prices in Switzerland.

In Switzerland, firewood is mostly sold by the ster, not by the kilogram. A ster of beech weighs about 450 kg. At 180 to 220 francs per ster that works out to roughly 40 to 49 cents per kilogram.

According to the guide prices, fresh wood (1 m long split pieces at the forest road) costs only 75 to 95 francs per ster of beech. But it is not oven-ready: it still has to dry for about two years before use, and you usually organize the transport yourself.

33 cm is our standard length for fireplaces and wood stoves. For smaller fireboxes you choose 25 cm. If in doubt, measure the depth of your firebox.

Raised off the ground, airy and with a roof on top only: on a pallet or beams, in a windy, sunny spot, with the sides open (Holzenergie Schweiz). The five steps for stacking properly are in How to store and stack firewood.

Yes, but only from above. That keeps rain and snow out, and air can still reach the sides. A tarp wrapped tightly around the pile keeps the moisture in the wood.

Freshly split wood needs one to two years, and Holzenergie Schweiz recommends at least two. Oven-ready wood already has the right moisture: we deliver ours at under 18%.

Oven-ready wood has under 20% water content (Holzenergie Schweiz). Watch the display of your meter: the 20% limit refers to water content (relative to fresh weight), but most meters show wood moisture (relative to dry weight). 25% wood moisture equals 20% water content (WSL).

In hand-fed log heaters such as stoves and fireplaces, only untreated, dry wood in the form of logs may be burned (Holzenergie Schweiz). Moist wood burns poorly and releases more air pollutants (canton of Zug), and it gives less heat because part of the energy goes into evaporating the water (EnergieSchweiz).

A cellar is unsuitable for fresh wood because it lacks wind and sun for drying. Oven-ready, dry wood can be kept there for a short time. Against a house wall it works with a little distance from the wall, on a base and with a roof above. Cantonal and municipal rules apply to fire protection and distances.

For fireplaces, fireplace stoves and tiled or storage stoves whose flue gases exit upward, Holzenergie Schweiz recommends lighting from the top. In a fireplace you lay the firewood in a loose crisscross stack with a little space between the logs, thicker pieces at the bottom and thinner ones on top. On top goes a lighting module: four dry fir sticks (about 3 × 3 cm, about 20 cm long) crossed over each other, with a firelighter such as wax-soaked wood wool in between. Light it at the top, one match is enough.

The wood then burns step by step from top to bottom, more slowly and in a more controlled way than when lit from below. The gases flow through the hot flame and burn out almost completely, which lowers the pollutant output. Most pollutants arise while lighting, as long as the walls of the firebox are still cold (canton of Zug).

Better not. For lighting, firelighters such as wax-soaked wood wool are better suited than newspaper. Paper, cardboard and plastic from packaging must not be burned in the stove (Holzenergie Schweiz). You can find ready-made kindling and the Schitli firelighter in our shop.

With correct operation, the fire of a log heater burns smoke-free after 15 minutes at the latest: only white water vapor comes out of the chimney, no grey smoke. If the heater smokes for longer, the requirements of the Swiss Ordinance on Air Pollution Control (LRV) are not met (Holzenergie Schweiz).

Never throttle the fire by closing the air supply or the chimney damper, recommends Holzenergie Schweiz. Close the air dampers only once the embers are barely visible. Always follow the operating instructions of your stove as well.

Small quantities of ash may go in the household waste, larger quantities are to be disposed of in agreement with the cantonal authorities (Holzenergie Schweiz). The leaflet of the canton of Schwyz names the proven double-bag method: completely cooled ash goes into a plastic bag, tied up well, into the official waste bag. Keep warm ash in a non-combustible, closed container on a non-combustible base.

No. Wood ash must not be used as a compost additive or fertilizer: trees absorb heavy metals, and these remain concentrated in the ash after burning (Holzenergie Schweiz). Disposal via the green waste collection is also prohibited (canton of Schwyz).

Paper, cardboard and plastic from packaging, treated offcuts from carpentries, old wood from building sites and renovations (furniture, windows, doors, floors) and packaging wood such as crates and pallets (Holzenergie Schweiz). Beams, battens, pallets and crates can be contaminated without it being visible.

How often depends on the canton and the municipality: ask your chimney sweep or your municipality. Every home owner and appliance user is responsible for regular cleaning, which the chimney sweep carries out professionally. According to Holzenergie Schweiz, a wood heater must also be serviced regularly by the manufacturer.

We deliver firewood with stacking, privacy screens and firewood on pallets in 6 to 12 working days, small quantities in 2 to 3 working days. All details are in the shipping information.

To the cantons of Aargau, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Lucerne, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Zug and Zurich. We deliver to all other cantons on request: send us your postcode through the contact form, and we will confirm the delivery date and procedure.

Delivery is free, and with a ster stacking is included. We stack the wood up to 50 m from the drop-off point, where you need it: under the porch roof, in the garage or on the balcony. When it is stacked, you can measure the quantity right at the pile.

Our wood (beech and birch) has a moisture content of under 18% and is therefore oven-ready straight away. It comes from Swiss forests and responsible, regional forestry.

Clear the spot where we are to stack the wood. For pallet deliveries we need a firm surface without steps, gravel or larger bumps, so that we can move the pallet on. The details are in our terms and conditions.

With the wood finder in three questions, or calculate from your heating oil use: 1,000 liters of heating oil equal 5 to 6 ster of hardwood (EnergieSchweiz). If you are unsure, write to us and we will work out the amount with you.