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Increased coal and wood demand amid Russian gas fears

PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle 22.09.2014 12:27
Companies selling coal and wood for home heating purposes have recorded increased sales this September, amid consumer fears caused by a lower than normal delivery of Russian gas.

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A number of Poles, who use natural gas to heat their homes were alarmed about the situation between domestic distributor PGNiG and Russia's Gazprom.

Earlier this month, PGNiG issued several statements saying that gas supply from across Poland's eastern border was lower than the company had ordered. Gazprom assured it had not cut supplies but it later confirmed that it did not raise exports when the Polish firm ordered higher daily quantities.

Though PGNiG clearly stated that its gas caverns are full and there was no need to panic, people were alarmed.

“Usually sales grow with the first cold autumn weather,” Artur Rosiński, who runs a wood selling enterprise, told Gazeta Wyborcza.

“But since last week I have answered about a hundred phonecalls from customers wishing to buy wood. Ten of them, mostly owners of single-family houses, have already ordered.”

Another entrepreneur, who installs home fireplaces, also recorded an unexpected increase in orders in mid September. “It seems people have seriously got scared of what Putin might do,” the man added.

Jarosław Buczek, who sells coal to retail clients, also noted a growth in demand in September. People who have gas heaters, but have not removed the old ones running on coal, now buy up to three tonnes of coal.

“They did not come before, because they used gas for heating and they did not even think that the coal heaters would be of use to them again,” Buczek said. (kw)

tags: Gazprom
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