It is a mix of several factors that is currently giving tiled stove manufacturers and dealers a boom. “The order books of our member companies are full, the interest is great,” said Thomas Schiffert, Managing Director of the Austrian Kachelofenverband, at an online press conference this week.
Members of the association are the federal guild of stove fitters, plate and tile layers and ceramists and thus around 600 stove manufacturers in Austria. This also includes 50 industrial companies.
The development was already apparent at the beginning of the corona pandemic and intensified with the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the associated rising energy costs, said Schiffert. During the corona pandemic there was an increase in demand of 30 percent, this year demand has increased by 50 percent.
According to the association, there are currently around 450,000 tiled stoves in Austria. This corresponds to 13 percent of all households and an installed capacity of 2000 megawatts. Around 10,000 new tiled stoves are installed every year. The potential has not yet been exhausted, said Schiffert. It is between 12,000 and 15,000 ovens per year.
“A tiled stove is always a one-off that is individually planned and put on the spot by the stove fitter, stove builder or fitter,” says Schiffert. The construction usually takes a week, a chimney is essential for it. With the increasing demand and the increasing material costs, the prices for the tiled stoves would also increase at the moment. Compared to the previous year, stoves have become ten percent more expensive, and if things continue like this, a further price increase of ten percent is realistic, emphasized the head of the association.
Prices from 9000 euros
According to Schiffert, the prices for tiled stoves start at 9,000 euros and average between 12,000 and 15,000 euros. If you opt for a tiled stove, you have to be patient until it can be heated up for the first time. You have to expect waiting times of four to five months, but there are differences between the stove manufacturers, says Schiffert.
The industry representative also emphasized the service life of tiled stoves: This is around 30 years, which is twice as long as other heating systems. There are even ovens that are more than 100 years old and still work. (Rome)
Demand of the association to the legislature
In 2012, the guideline of the OIB (Austrian Institute for Building Technology), which prescribes a chimney in at least one room in every residential unit, fell. At that time, cost arguments were put forward for this. The Tiled Stove Association calls on the legislature to reintroduce this guideline. Because the current situation and concerns about a blackout show how important it is to be able to heat at least one room in apartment buildings without electricity.
Regarding particulate matter, Schiffert said that emissions from tiled stoves in Austria had fallen by 85 percent over the past 20 years.
Source: Nachrichten
