I cannot imagine how bulgaria would manage if they had to stop burning wood for heating. what are the alternatives, for most electric would be too expensive. gas bottles, yes, but they are heavy and how would you get out for refills when roads are closed in the height of winter.
bulgaria is set to be fined for not stopping households burning wood.
here is the report.

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Bulgaria faces a penalty of up to EUR 120 M per year by the European Commission unless households stop using wood to heat their homes, according to Andrey Bachvarov, Chair of the Association of Biomass Energy Producers.

In a Thursday interview for the Bulgaria On Air TV station, he emphasized that the biomass energy sector contributed to the solution of a number of environmental problems like the content of fine particles in the air and the utilization of solid household organic waste and sewage sludge.

Bachvarov, as cited by econ.bg, cautioned that the ambiguities in Bulgarian legislation, as well as a number of unresolved problems, posed a threat to the implementation of renewable energy capacity targets.

Bulgaria must build 80 new installations for sewage sludge treatment and rehabilitate 20 such units but the projects have been delayed substantially.

In February 2012, the Chair of the Association of Biomass Energy Producers in Bulgaria noted that the Bulgarian grid had not been initially designed to sustain renewable energy power stations.

He argued that as a result the output of the renewable energy power stations was unsteady, it created disruptions in the electricity grid, and the preferential tariffs were paid by the end consumers.

In his Thursday interview, Bachvarov disagreed with claims of the State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR) and the Electricity System Operator (ESO) that Bulgaria already had biomass power stations with a capacity of 41 MW.

Citing statistics of the Association, Bachvarov declared that Bulgaria had biomass power stations with a capacity of 7.5 MW.

He also noted that economic analyses had indicated that Bulgaria could not have biomass power stations with a total capacity exceeding 100 MW.

So what are people meant to do? We have a range style wood burner, so as well as heating the house I cook all the food on/in it. I rarely need to use the electric cooker. Very economical.
The alternative is very expensive, especially for pensioners. Is the government going to provide them with the relevant appliances?

One thing though. How many new trees get planted each year in comparison to those chopped down?

More b.......t from the EU who don't seem to have a clue about how people in other EU countries live. Bulgaria is the land of wood and has a re-planting system in operation. Yes, how will people afford the luxury of other heating? How will gas bottles be delivered to old people and those without cars? They are not even widely available and can be dangerous. I would not be without my woodburner and I also cook on it all winter. Many Bulgarians use wood for cooking all year round using makeshift BBQs out side. This is ecology gone mad. Fining an already poor country for not obeying EU rules? Whatever next????

More eu crap I see what on earth do they think we can use? its not as though this is Jamaica or some other hot country where you don't need to provide heat. Perhaps they would be good enough to come up with an alternative that doesn’t cost a fortune.

More EU rubbish, possibly put together by some beaurocrat sat in a nice centrally heated office somewhere in Brussels.

did anyone else notice that the mp thats pushing the wood ban is on the board for eon electric ?

Yes, I did..but he doesn't pay for his power supply anyway, so why would he care? Just another piggie with his snout in the trough.

bgbazz wrote:

Yes, I did..but he doesn't pay for his power supply anyway, so why would he care? Just another piggie with his snout in the trough.

A big bonus coming for him then!!

He and his mates vote themselves a bonus whenever they feel like it!

Can't see this happening its away of life here and so many would suffer without the use of wood for heat and in some cases cooking.

cheekychops wrote:

Can't see this happening its away of life here and so many would suffer without the use of wood for heat and in some cases cooking.

I can't see it happening either cheekychops - but personally I would be well pleased not to cut and chop wood all winter, but realistically we live in a village and that is the way of life and probably always will be. It is all very well for someone in Brussels to sit in their ivory tower of an office, no doubt gas centrally heated and tell us how to live our lives. Make him or her live out here in the country for one of our Winters and they would soon change their tune!! I will get off my soap box now!!

Wood has been the traditional fuel that Bulgarians has used for years. Many rural villages and towns have No direct main gas pipe lines so the only source of heating is the traditional wood burning stove. Wood burning stoves give off fine particles in the air that may lead to environmental problems but what else are we all to do?

Its a good question STD but I think the EU are talking about green wood? perhaps if Bulgaria did as I believe the French do which is to have 3 lots one they are burning one drying out and the one just bought.. I don't think the Bulgarians con afford that. So should they cut down and keep in the wood in the forests to mature before selling it maybe the E.U won't have problem then ?

Before we all get too carried away by this absurd directive - is it actually aiming at the domestic market as in villages, or is it to do with businesses or towns where other methods of heating could apply? Even this is controversial because of cost. Memo to EU- BULGARIA IS A POOR COUNTRY! Its main source of cheap fuel is Wood!
Its directives like this that have bankrupted other EU countries. Best ignored and cheaper to pay the fines. What's Boyko got to say?

This is our first Winter here in BG and as far I am concerned wood and snow are the two most used four letter words that are uttered by me and Annette. If I am not clearing snow, I am cutting and chopping wood for our 33Kw wood burner. So a steep learning curve for both of us, but we live in a village and that is the way it is done for us and hundreds of thousands of others living here in Bulgaria. The EU need to get there act together and mind there own business and get on with their own lives and leave us alone.