Homeowners keep wood stoves as backup as sales rise

More people are buying wood stoves and fireplace inserts as energy prices rise and households seek backup heat during power cuts, DR reports.

Niels Ole Frederiksen had a wood stove installed at his home in Ruds Vedby, western Zealand, in March. His house also has an air-to-water heat pump, but he wanted a source of warmth in case of a power outage.

Retailers across Zealand say customers are buying stoves both to reduce energy costs and to ensure they can heat their homes if the electricity supply fails. Karsten Højholdt, who has sold wood stoves for more than 40 years at Pejsemanden, a stove retailer in Høve, northwestern Zealand, said customers understand that a power cut can also mean losing heat.

Members of DAPO, the Danish Association of Fireplace and Wood Stove Suppliers, sold 7 per cent more wood stoves and 12 per cent more fireplace inserts in the first half of 2026 than in the same period last year.

DAPO secretary Bjørn Strøm said rising energy prices and a stronger focus on emergency preparedness were contributing to the increase. He also pointed to last winter’s cold weather and the government’s advice that people should be able to manage for three days with basic necessities.

Retailers say some customers want to keep their stoves as an extra safeguard rather than remove them. The industry association expects sales to continue rising for the rest of the year.

Political efforts to reduce harmful particle emissions from older wood stoves may also be affecting sales. New owners of homes with a stove must replace it or remove it if it was made before 1 January 2003. Statistics Denmark says nearly one in five occupied homes in Denmark has a wood stove.