From December 15, you will be able to benefit from a small financial boost to have your electrical and electronic devices repaired. A way to extend their lifespan and fight against overconsumption.
The Government has just introduced a repair bonus to encourage consumers to have their broken electrical or electronic devices repaired rather than buying new ones to replace them, as is too often the case. Its amount, modest, varies according to the products: from 15 to 45 euros. It will be taken directly from the invoice, without requiring any formality. To benefit from it, you will have to contact an approved repairer, recognizable by the QualiRépar label. This new measure is part of the anti-waste law. It will enter into force on December 15, 2022 and will not require any formality.
What is the repair premium for?
Many consumers are sometimes obliged to change one of their electrical or electronic devices following a breakdown. A part breaks and the whole product ends up in the dumpster. Therefore, they are often replaced prematurely and not used or recycled enough. This is the famous obsolescence – sometimes programmed by the manufacturers, who manage to reduce the life of the device so that the consumer is forced to buy one. But this practice has a cost in terms of resources used and waste, and is therefore responsible for a portion of global greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, the production of a device is the most polluting phase of its existence, because of the extraction of raw materials. This is why equipment must be used for a long time so that its environmental impact is as low as possible. To fight against this obsolescence, the French government intends to encourage consumers to repair their devices rather than immediately buying another one in the event of a breakdown. For this, he has set up a repair bonus, which will take effect in mid-December.
Repairing a device that stops working is far from being a reflex for everyone! As indicated by a Ademe report (IEnvironment and Energy Management Agency), faced with a breakdown, “only 36 % of French people on average repair it, while they are 54 % on average to replace it”. The Ministry of Ecology has set itself the goal of reaching 60 % repair within five years. To achieve this, he implemented the anti-waste law for a circular economy (AGEC law), which aims to facilitate the repair of electrical and electronic devices and equipment.
Thus, the Government has already set up a repairability index, which is mandatory for certain products, in order to encourage more eco-responsible production and consumption. It is not because a device needs to be repaired that it will then be less efficient! Manufacturers have a role to play, and must provide their customers with easily accessible spare parts at an attractive price – no one will repair their smartphone if buying a new one costs less. And to encourage consumers to favor repairs, a repair bonus will be launched from December 15, 2022.
Which devices are affected by the repair bonus?
The repair bonus arrives a year late, but it is coming! It applies to 31 types of equipment, provided they are no longer under warranty: digital cameras, vacuum cleaners, game consoles, drones, washing machines, dishwashers, coffee machines, desktop and laptop computers, food processors, clothes dryers, desktop and mobile phones, tablets, televisions, drills, stoves, hoods, ovens, hobs, bicycles, electric assistance, kettles, toasters, juicers, juicers and extractors, refrigerators and freezers, irons, steam generators, electric scooters, lawn mowers and electric hedge trimmers, appliances sports equipment, video projectors, DVD players and various audio devices. Please note, however, that some of the products mentioned here will only be eligible from 2023 or 2024, and the list is subject to change.
What is the amount of the repair premium?
The bonus amount varies by product. In theory, it should represent 20 to 25% of the total bill. For example, to have a washing machine repaired, the premium is 25 euros. For a laptop, the consumer is entitled to 45 euros and to aid of 25 euros for products such as refrigerators, freezers, mobile phones or tablets. The premium takes the form of an immediate reduction which is indicated on the invoice. The repairer is then reimbursed by the Ecosystem and Ecologic, specialized in recycling. The customer therefore has no formalities to carry out, either before or after: everything is automatic.
To benefit from the repair bonus, you must go through a professional with the QualiRépar label, whether it is an industrial or independent repairer, a craftsman, or even the after-sales service of the distributor or manufacturer. To find one, just go to the sites ecosystem.eco Where label-qualirepar.fr. However, there is a small problem: of the 1,500 repair services currently listed in France, only 500 have obtained the label, which limits the accessibility of the bonus for users and reduces the impact of the measure. However, this number is expected to increase in the coming years. Here again, repairers must go through label-qualirepar.fr or ecosystem.eco to obtain the famous label, renewed every three years.
In total, no less than 410 million euros will be invested in the repair premium until 2027, as reported France Info. This fund will be fed by the manufacturers – and therefore by extension the consumers –, who will pay part of the income generated by their sales to Ecosystem and Ecologic, which will then pay it to the repairer – who therefore does not make an immediate reduction to the customer.