Good news ! The Government will double the amount of the repair bonus for certain products and extend it to smartphones. A financial boost intended to extend the lifespan of devices and to combat overconsumption.
A little less than a year after its official launch, tens of thousands of devices have already been able to take advantage of the “repair bonus“. As a reminder, this bonus aims 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 is deducted directly on the invoice, without requiring the slightest formality. To benefit from this, you must contact an approved repairer, recognizable by the QualiRépar label.
The initiative was rather well received by consumers, but not as much as the Government would have liked. Indeed, for the period 2022-2023, 63 million euros had been budgeted to finance this system. However, only 500,000 euros had been spent between the start of the operation and April 2023. To encourage consumers to turn to this more responsible practice, Christophe Béchu, the Minister of Ecological Transition, announced double the repair bonus from 1er January 2024, expand the categories of devices covered by this system – the replacement of a broken smartphone screen, one of the most widespread repairs, will now be supported – and increase the number of approved repairers. Good news that should provide some relief to our wallets and the planet!
What is the repair bonus used for?
One of the causes that encourages people to buy a new electrical or electronic device is a breakdown: either it is irreparable or the cost of the part to be changed is exorbitant. It is also to limit this phenomenon – linked to obsolescence, sometimes planned, with certain manufacturers managing to limit the lifespan of a device so that the consumer is forced to buy a new one fairly quickly… – that the famous repairability index was implemented, now mandatory on many products. Because perpetual renewal has a significant cost, both in terms of resources used and waste. And it is responsible for part of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions – the production of a device being the most polluting phase of its existence, due to 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 combat 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 via the anti-waste law for a circular economy (AGEC law).
The law provides for the implementation of a certain number of measures to combat planned obsolescence. In particular, it requires manufacturers and sellers to display a repairability index for certain products in order to encourage more eco-responsible production and consumption. This change involves manufacturers, who 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 – but also by consumers. And this is where the repair bonus comes in which, in exchange for the carrot of a financial reduction, will lead them to change their habits.
Which devices are covered by the repair bonus?
The repair bonus arrived a year late. Since December 15, 2022, it applies to 49 types of equipment, provided that they are no longer under warranty: digital cameras, vacuum cleaners, game consoles, drones, washing machines, dishwashers, coffee machines, desktop and laptop computers, food processors, tumble dryers, landline and cell phones, tablets, televisions, drills, cookers, hoods, ovens, hobs cooking equipment, electrically assisted bicycles, kettles, toasters, juicers, juicers and extractors, refrigerators and freezers, irons, steam generators, electric scooters, lawn mowers and electric hedge trimmers, sports equipment, video projectors, DVD players, various audio devices, etc. HAS from 1er January 2024, other devices will also be supported, which will bring the total number of types of equipment concerned to 71. This is the case of printer and scanner (€35 bonus), monitors (€30) , all-in-one desktop computers (€50), landline telephones (€15), epilators (€15 €) or even electric razors (€15). In addition, the eligibility criteria for the repair bonus will take into account “accidental breakage”, particularly for smartphone screens and broken washing machine handles, with a reduction of 25 € on the bill.
Until now, only repairs carried out in the workshop, at the store of a certified repairer or at home directly by a certified professional were covered by the repair bonus due to lack of certification of repairers carrying out this type of repair. HAS starting from 1er February 2024, people using a certified remote repairer will also be able to benefit from the repair bonus. In addition, consumers who turn to repairers using parts from the circular economy – such as reconditioned, “second-hand” parts – will benefit from a bonus increased by 20%.
How much is the repair bonus?
The amount of the “repair bonus” varies depending on the product. Initially, it was to represent 20 to 25% of the total bill, with a sum between 15 to 45 € . The Government has, however, decided to double the amounts for five large appliances (washing machine, dishwasher, dryer, vacuum cleaner and television) from 1er January 2024. Thus, for the repair of a washing machine, dishwasher or dryer, the premium will increase from 25 to 50 €. For a vacuum cleaner, the premium will increase from 15 to 30 €. Finally, for a television, the consumer will be entitled to €60 instead of €30. Of In addition, the amount of the repair bonus on more than twenty products will be increased by 5 €, which will save €50 on the repair of a laptop, €20 on home cinema equipment, or even 15 euros on small household appliances. In the end, the amount reimbursed varies between 25 and 90 € depending on the product. The amount is deducted from the final price and the repairer is then reimbursed by the Ecosystem and Ecologic, specialized in recycling. The customer therefore has no formalities to complete, whether before or after: everything is automatic.
To benefit from the repair bonus, you must go through a QualiRépar-certified professional, whether an industrial or independent repairer, a craftsman, or even the after-sales service of the distributor or manufacturer. To find one, simply go to the websites of Ecosystem or Qualirepar label. There are currently 4,300 accredited repairers, but this number is expected to gradually increase over the coming years. “We want to go from 4,000 to 7,500 during 2024, to go up to 22,000 at the end of 2026”explained the Minister of Ecological Transition to West France. Here again, repairers must go through the Label Qualirepar or Ecosystem sites to obtain the famous label, renewed every three years. To quickly increase the number of approved services, the Government has decided to reduce from 500 to 250 € the cost of membership for small independent repairers. In addition, this will be capped at 200 € over three years for repair artisans. In addition, the time limit for labeling a repairer cannot exceed three months from the sending of a complete file to an eco-organization.
Fortunately, this number
The Government is also seeking to encourage major household appliance brands to join QualiRépar. If Boulanger and Leclerc joined the adventure from December 2022, some players are reluctant to do the same because they already have a warranty program offered to their customers – which would therefore compete with the repair bonus. This is the case of Fnac-Darty and Apple. The first indicates to the Parisian that “to integrate our responsible customers who have subscribed to our Darty Max subscription or a warranty extension, we have requested a review of the scope of the repair fund.” An option which is not excluded by the Government. As for Apple, the company is known for the hermeticity of its ecosystem. For its part, Auchan maintains that it has started the process. In order for the repair bonus to be accessible to all, marketers of electrical and electronic products with an integrated repair service will now have to be certified, in order to allow their customers to also benefit from the repair bonus.
In total, no less than 410 million euros must be invested in the repair bonus over five years, until 2027, as reported France Info. This fund is and will be funded by manufacturers – and therefore by extension consumers… –, who will donate part of the revenue generated by the eco-participation tax to Ecosystem and Ecologic. It is these organizations which will then pay the repairer the amount of the reduction applied to the customer.
However, if its intention is eminently laudable – we still throw away far too many repairable devices which could have a second or even a third life – we must be wary of a perverse effect that the repair premium could cause: artificial overcharging . In fact, as has already happened in other areas – installation of solar panels, installation of heat pumps, insulation work, etc. – some unscrupulous craftsmen could be tempted to discreetly increase their prices by taking advantage of the reduction applied so that the invoice remains reasonable. Before rushing headlong to a repairer, it is therefore advisable to ask for several quotes to compare them and avoid any trickery by spotting the indelicate ones…