I respectfully disagree. Their operating costs are not decreasing. Most of it, of course, is in gasoline for the truck and chainsaw and, if they have one, a gas-powered splitter. Where is the price of gas going down? Which of their "operation expenses" is declining? And how, exactly, do you know they have the funds to live on? And what, pray tell, do you feel is their rightful standard of living? Who, exactly, are you to dictate what that standard of living should be? Their living expenses are going up just like everyone else's and they have to cover that. The people I see out trying to sell firewood are not living in fancy houses and are not driving nice, top-of-the-line trucks. They are out selling the result of their hard work to people who either cannot or will not put in that hard work and I say they have a right to charge whatever the market will bear.

As for me being "one of those who feel like you are entitled to a bigger piece of the pie just because you want to have more" you should do some research and ask a few questions before shooting your mouth off. I am retired and on a fixed income. My "piece of the pie" is fixed. Would I like to have a bigger income? You bet. It would be nice to be able to have and do some things that I cannot now afford, but I certainly do not feel like I am entitled to it. So please tell me: when was the last time you turned down a raise in pay?

Truthfully I turned down a pay increase just last month because I didn't want to t away from the funds of the organization that contracted my service.
I actually turn down several high paying projects to do free visits.
This is also from someone who exists on a fixed and limited income due to my forced retirement.
The reason why is because I know that I am well and fairly compensated for my service and I am also not the only one that is offering the same service.
From that end it frequently makes sense to eat the increase and maintain the client.

Truthfully I turned down a pay increase just last month because I didn't want to t away from the funds of the organization that contracted my service.
I actually turn down several high paying projects to do free visits.
This is also from someone who exists on a fixed and limited income due to my forced retirement.
The reason why is because I know that I am well and fairly compensated for my service and I am also not the only one that is offering the same service.
From that end it frequently makes sense to eat the increase and maintain the client.
I had to edit because I realized I didn't answer your main question about what costs are decreasing.
The cost that is decreasing at least in my area is the raw materials that being the trees.
The last couple years we have had so many severe storms which has knocked down trees into yards driveways parking lots etc that people are actually hiring people to clear it out by cutting the wood.
This is a substantial savings over having to pay for the right to cut.
It's further decreasing the amount that the cutter is getting paid to clear it out.
Granted not every downed tree is going to be good for heating but the guys cutting it as firewood do not have to take that one.

I don't care if the trees are free. Most wood cutters/sellers harvest downed trees as cheaply as they can get them, from whatever source. Those downed trees need to be harvested within a certain period of time or they are useless. So the cutter/seller may actually get paid to remove the trees that he then sells as firewood. So what? Does that mean he should charge less than market price for his product? And who are you to decide what his labor is worth? If you want to source and harvest your own firewood, fine and dandy. But don't disparage others for getting as much as they can for what they are selling to people who cannot or will not do that.

If you paid attention in Economics 101 (I'm beginning to doubt that you did) you learned that the value of a product is only determined when the seller and the buyer agree on the price. If the wood cutter offers his product for $X and the buyer agrees to pay $X then that is the value of the product. It's not up to you to decide that charging $X is avarice.

Even if the wood cutter is paid to remove the trees and then sells them as firewood, you cannot deny that his other costs are going up. Gas, food, utilities are all increasing at an exponential rate. Those are part of his costs as well.

We could get into a much longer discussion about this but I don't think it would do any good.