What Type of Heating to Choose in 2025: Comparing Gas and Firewood for Savings

When choosing the optimal heating method for homes in 2025, Ukrainians should consider not only the cost of fuel but also other factors: energy efficiency of the equipment, availability of resources, ease of use, and long-term savings.

This is reported by AgroReview

Cost of Gas and Firewood in 2025: Current Calculations

At the beginning of 2025, the price of natural gas for households offered by the main supplier, Naftogaz of Ukraine, is 7.96 UAH per cubic meter including VAT. However, starting from January 1, 2025, the transportation tariff for gas has increased more than fourfold — from 124.16 UAH to 501.97 UAH per thousand cubic meters, due to the cessation of Russian gas transit. Considering delivery, the final price of gas for residential consumers is about 9–10 UAH per cubic meter.

The cost of firewood in the fall of 2025 varies significantly depending on the type. The most expensive are beech, oak, and hornbeam — ranging from 1200 to 1900 UAH per cubic meter, while pine and alder cost from 1100 UAH, and aspen and poplar — from 980 UAH. The State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” has set social prices: oak and hornbeam — 1140 UAH/m³, pine — 923 UAH/m³, willow and poplar — 824 UAH/m³.

Economic Feasibility: Comparative Analysis of Costs

For an objective comparison of heating costs, experts take into account the calorific value of the fuel and the efficiency coefficient (EC) of the boilers:

• 1 m³ of natural gas provides about 8.57 kWh of heat at a boiler efficiency of 90%. Considering the final price of gas (9.5 UAH/m³), the cost of 1 kWh is approximately 1.25 UAH.
• 1 kg of oak firewood (moisture content of about 20%) yields 2.94 kWh at a boiler efficiency of 70%. At an average price of 4–5 UAH/kg, this amounts to 1.9–2.4 UAH per 1 kWh.

As experts note, there is no universal answer to the question of the most cost-effective heating method — everyone chooses a type of heating that suits them best.

Advantages of gas heating:

• Price and quality stability of fuel
• High efficiency of modern gas boilers (up to 92%)
• Convenience and automation of the process

Among the advantages of using firewood are potentially lower costs with the right supplier choice, the possibility of using local resources, and independence from the gas network. However, firewood also has disadvantages: variations in quality depending on the type and moisture, the need to set up storage space, regular maintenance of equipment, and not as high efficiency (70% for conventional boilers, about 85% for pyrolysis ones).

According to current calculations, gas in 2025 remains more economically advantageous for heating homes due to stable prices and high boiler efficiency. Firewood can only become competitive if high-quality wood is purchased at social prices directly from state forestry enterprises, modern pyrolysis boilers are used, and there are personal capabilities for harvesting and drying wood.

Experts advise citizens to take care of purchasing firewood in advance and not to postpone it until the beginning of the heating season, as prices traditionally rise with the onset of cold weather.