The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) has submitted to Parliament a legislative proposal aimed at protecting consumers who use wood materials for heating their homes.

The proposal provides for capping the final prices invoiced at a maximum of RON 400 /cubic metre (VAT included) for all assortments of wood materials used for heating – firewood, wood scraps, wood chips and sawdust. Also, prices for derived products are capped at a maximum of RON1,500 /tonne in the case of wood briquettes and RON 2,000 /tonne in the case of wood pellets, VAT included.

The measures would apply throughout March 31, 2028 and are addressed to final consumers, namely: individuals, educational establishments, social service providers, religious establishments, local administrations and bodies subordinated to them.

AUR on Thursday said that the initiators of the bill believe that the possibility of heating in winter is a fundamental right of every Romanian, especially given that over three million households in Romania use wood for heating, and in rural areas over 85% of families depend on this type of fuel.

„The uncontrolled increase in prices for firewood, which sometimes exceeded RON 700 /cubic metre in DIY stores, has caused thousands of families to be put in the dramatic situation of no longer being able to afford to heat their homes in winter,” according to AUR.

The law also provides for clear penalties for traders who exceed the capped prices: fines between RON 3,000 and 5,000 to be levied by the National Consumer Protection Authority (ANPC) and by the authorised forestry agencies.

The initiators claim that this legislative measure is not only an economic one, but also a social and moral one, designed to provide safety to the most vulnerable Romanians and to stop the commercial abuses of late on the firewood market. AGERPRES