Logs, pellets, wood chips: which wood fuel to choose in 2026?

Defining your needs before choosing your wood

Main heating or supplementary heating: use changes everything

If wood becomes your main heating source, you're after autonomy and steady heat. This points towards an appliance sized for the floor area, and towards a uniform fuel, stored dry. For supplementary heating, the goal is more about responsiveness. You can favour shorter burns and a format that's easy to light.

Appliance type: stove, insert, wood boiler or pellet boiler

A stove or insert most often runs on logs. A wood boiler targets central heating and hot water production, with a larger volume of wood. A pellet boiler, meanwhile, relies on automation and comfort close to gas. In every case, wood quality matters. Aim for well-dried logs or certified pellets.

Everyday comfort: storage, handling and feeding

The right choice also comes down to day-to-day use. Logs require space, drying time and handling. Pellets require suitable storage space, often a silo, with possible delivery. If you want simple storage and less handling, automatic feeding quickly makes the difference.

Logs: the "traditional" wood for stoves and inserts

Species, moisture content and drying: the points that make performance

For a stove or insert, aim for dry wood. Dense hardwoods (oak, beech, hornbeam) give more heat and foul less for the same quantity. The criterion that matters is moisture. Below 20%, ignition is clean, output rises and smoke drops. Require air drying of at least 18 to 24 months, or kiln drying with proof of control. To go further, see our guide on the moisture content of firewood.

Length, diameter, cords: speaking the same language as your clients

On the ground, everything comes down to dimensions and volume. Confirm the usable length (often 25, 33 or 50 cm) and a diameter suited to limiting splitting. Clarify the notion of a stacked cord. A cord of 1 m logs doesn't have the same apparent volume as one of 50 or 33 cm logs. Always state the length and the stacking method.

Quality, origin and delivery: avoiding bad surprises on site

To avoid surprises, ask for a traceable origin, a moisture content measured at delivery, and an NF label or equivalent where possible. Check for fines and bark, the absence of mould, and plan for a dry, accessible unloading point. A detailed invoice protects you as much as your clients.

Pellets: calibrated wood for consistent output

Diameter, density, fines content: how to spot a good pellet

A good pellet is dry, uniform wood. Aim for a recognised certification, such as ENplus A1. Visually, the diameter is consistent (often 6 mm), the colour stays stable and the bag contains very little dust. Too many fines and too much moisture, and the feed auger strains, the flame becomes unstable and output drops.

Silo, bags, bulk: choosing the right packaging for the property

The silo is ideal if you heat all winter. It secures autonomy, provided you have a dry room accessible to the blower truck. Bags work as a stopgap in houses and flats alike, but require handling and a storage corner. Bulk is often the most economical option in use, if bulk delivery is possible without multiplying bends and pipe length.

Maintenance and settings: limiting fouling and breakdowns

A clean fuel helps, but maintenance makes the difference. Keep the ash pan clean, vacuum the burn pot, check the seals and air inlets. On the settings side, a pellet feed rate that's too high fouls the unit quickly. Rely on the manual and have the combustion checked during the annual service.

Wood chips: "collective" wood for large heat demand

For which projects: commercial buildings, co-owned properties, heat networks

Wood chips are suited to long, high-demand heating. Schools, gyms, care homes, co-owned apartment buildings or small heat networks. Their value shows with high throughput and steady consumption. Plan for a dedicated boiler room, operational monitoring and a solid maintenance contract.

Particle size, moisture, dust: the technical criteria to check

Fuel quality drives performance. Ask for a stable particle size, matching the usual wood chip classes, and controlled moisture according to the season. Too wet, and output drops while smoke increases. Too many fines and too much dust means more clogging, more wear, and shutdowns as a result.

Logistics and storage: truck access, platform, auger and safety

On site, everything comes down to truck access and storage. Anticipate the turning radius, the unloading height and the manoeuvring space. For the silo, aim for a buffer volume, a clean platform and a reliable extraction system (auger, rake). Add fire safety, ventilation and temperature detection.

Price, subsidies and the winning choice in 2026: deciding without getting it wrong

Comparing the real cost of wood: useful energy, output and losses

To compare, bring everything back to the cost per useful kWh. Wood that's too wet or average output, and the bill climbs quietly. In 2026, aim for well-dried logs (around 20% moisture), certified pellets, then calculate simply: delivered price divided by LHV, then by the appliance's output. Add the losses. Storage, handling, ash, sweeping.

2026 subsidies: MaPrimeRénov', CEE, reduced VAT and RGE requirements depending on the case

MaPrimeRénov' and CEE bonuses can fund a wood stove or boiler if the required performance is met and if the company holds RGE Qualibois certification where required. The 5.5% VAT rate often applies to energy improvement works in dwellings over 2 years old, with a certificate.

Client pitch: making the right choice between logs, pellets and wood chips

Logs. Modest investment, but more effort and space required. Pellets. Automatic comfort, consistent quality, price more sensitive to the market. Wood chips. Relevant at high output or in collective settings, if you have storage space and local supply. The right choice is the one the client will actually use day to day.