The most recent rise in the price of cooking gas has forced many Brazilians to find other alternatives when it comes to preparing their meals.
And even in an era full of technological advances, such as the practicality of electric stoves, a popular solution has been to go back in time and use firewood as a source of energy.
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This trend has been observed throughout the country, reaching the highest level recorded in 13 years. Understand!
According to data released by the Social Observatory of Petroleum (OSP), the consumption of residential firewood in Brazil increased by 1% compared to the previous year, representing an increase of 225 thousand tons.
Just last year, Brazilian families consumed an impressive 24.2 million tons of firewood, while sales of cooking gas fell by 1.8%, corresponding to 188 thousand meters cubic.
This information is based on the 2023 National Energy Balance, released by the Energy Research Company (EPE). According to the study, after a period of reduction between 2007 and 2013, the consumption of firewood increased significantly again.
Economist from the OSP and the Brazilian Institute of Political and Social Studies (Ibeps), Eric Gil Dantas, points out that the firewood consumption in 2022 was the highest since 2009, while demand for cooking gas reached its lowest level in the decade.
With this movement, firewood became the second source of energy most used in Brazilian homes since 2018, representing 26% of the residential energy matrix in 2022.
Electricity is still the most common source, present in 46% of households, while cooking gas ranks third, with 22%.
The main cause of this increase in the consumption of firewood and replacement of cooking gas is the constant increase in prices.
The fuel calculation policy based on the international oil price, known as PPI (Import Parity Price), adopted by the Petrobras in 2016 and recently abandoned, was identified as responsible for raising prices of liquefied petroleum gas cylinders from 13 kilos.
This increase led to a real growth of 50% in the average annual price of cylinders since 2016, reaching a real average of R$ 112 in 2022.
On the other hand, cooking with electricity continuously is unfeasible, since the supply of electricity in the country has also been costly.
Faced with this situation, many Brazilians have found in firewood a more accessible and economical solution for to cook. In addition, this alternative can also contribute to reducing the environmental impact, as long as it is used in a conscious and sustainable way.
