Firewood is one of the last truly seasonal purchases left — prices, quality and delivery times all swing with the calendar. Buy at the right moment and you get drier wood for less money, delivered faster. Here’s the year as a buying strategy.
Spring (Best Prices Begin)
Demand collapses as heaters go cold, and suppliers unload seasoned stock to make yard space. Prices dip first; selection stays full. The classic move: order your bulk load now and let it continue drying toward next winter — the full summer-buying case.
Summer (The Smart Money Window)
The lowest prices and emptiest delivery calendars of the year. Every tonne bought now is below peak-season pricing and gets 3–6 extra months of stack-drying. Our Ember Club early-bird offers run in this window — members lock in mixed hardwood and double split loads before the rush. Sizing help: the winter guide.
Early Autumn (Last Call)
The sweet spot for the organised: still-close-to-summer pricing, full selection, and delivery windows measured in days rather than weeks. This is the last month where “I should order firewood” is a calm decision rather than an urgent one.
Late Autumn–Winter (Peak Season)
The first cold snap converts the entire region’s mild interest into simultaneous orders: prices peak, popular species thin out, and delivery windows stretch to 1–3 weeks. You’ll still get wood — supply never stops — but you’ll pay the seasonal premium and wait for it. If you’re here, order the biggest load you can store: it amortises the premium across the most fires (storage: the guide).
The Month-by-Month Verdict
- Best value: late spring through summer
- Best selection + convenience balance: early autumn
- Most expensive + slowest: the first three weeks of cold weather
- Any month: courier-shipped kindling, bags and starter packs — flat-rate delivered, year-round
Whatever the month, the quality rules don’t change: below-20% moisture (guide), honest weight (why tonnes win), named species. Current loads and pricing: the firewood shop. Quick answers: FAQs.