Use of firewood and other types of biomass for heating purposes in dwellings and holiday cottages
Contact info
Research, Technology and Culture, Business Statistics Department.Henrik Huusom
39 17 38 66 +45 39 17 38 66
Get documentation of statistics as pdf
The purpose of the study is to assess the number of wood stoves, etc., and to calculate the consumption of firewood and other biomass for heating in Danish households' homes and holiday homes. The results of the study are used, among other things, for the Danish Energy Agency's annual energy statistics and the Ministry of the Environment's assessment of emissions from wood stoves in Denmark. The study is based on a survey sent to a sample of households in Denmark. The study is conducted every two years, and reports dating back to 2009 can be found on the Danish Energy Agency's website. Statistics Denmark carried out the current study in collaboration with the Danish Energy Agency.
Statistical presentation
The statistics calculate the number of homes and holiday homes that are entirely or partially heated by wood stoves, etc., and the proportion these homes represent of the total housing stock. Additionally, the total consumption of firewood, etc., corresponding to the year 2023 is calculated. The results are presented as totals and broken down by geography, primary heat sources, wood stove types, and housing types.
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Statistical processing
The firewood survey is a sample-based survey. The interviews were collected via a web-based questionnaire, with approximately 20,000 responses most recently collected. The selected respondents are scaled to a national level using background information from population and housing statistics registers. The results are adjusted for non-responses, and data is error-checked at both micro and macro levels. During data processing, a limited number of responses are corrected due to inconsistencies or obviously incorrect answers. Household use of firewood, wood briquettes, and wood pellets is converted from physical quantities to total energy consumption based on standard values for energy content.
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Relevance
The survey was developed with support from a working group with representatives from the Danish Energy Agency and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, who use the results for calculating energy consumption and particle emissions from wood-burning stoves. Additionally, the statistics are of interest to others concerned with energy and the environment. As the survey is new under Statistics Denmark, there is no experience yet with user satisfaction.
Accuracy and reliability
There will always be errors associated with sample-based and questionnaire-based statistics. The survey framework was reviewed and quality assured before distribution, but it is rare to avoid identifying sources of error afterward. The results of the statistics are compared with previous, relevant studies on wood consumption, etc., and deviations are to be expected due to normal sampling uncertainty, minor differences in data processing, and real changes in the prevalence and consumption patterns regarding heating in private homes and holiday homes.
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Timeliness and punctuality
The survey is conducted every two years, and the publication time is two months from late May to late August. It is not possible to assess punctuality as the statistics are new under Statistics Denmark.
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Comparability
The statistics replace previous versions of the Wood Survey, which, at the initiative of the Danish Energy Agency, has generally been conducted every two years, most recently in 2021.
Accessibility and clarity
The plan is for the statistics to be published every other year in the StatBank under the topic Energy Consumption with the title Firewood and Other Biomass for Heating and in News from Statistics Denmark on Energy Consumption. More detailed results can also be retrieved on the statistics’ theme page.