On January 1, 2022, the government was to launch the assistance fund for the repair and reuse of electronic and electrical devices. Problem, this boost is still waiting. Finally, it should arrive in 2023, while offering a less generous envelope than expected.
To fight against waste and encourage consumers and manufacturers to consume and produce more responsibly, the government has launched several measures in recent years. One thinks in particular of the repairability index, in force since January 1, 2021. Presented in the form of a score out of ten points, it allows customers to quickly see if the product they intend to buy is easily repairable or nope.
More recently, the authorities also launched the “Long life for objects” platform, a site which notably houses a directory of repair professionals, an online diagnostic tool and even tutorials/tips for maintaining and repairing self-service devices. same.
However, the law against waste and for a circular economy voted in February 2020 also provided the establishment from 1 January 2022 of a repair assistance fund to reduce the bill for consumers wishing to give their devices a second life. Only and at the time of writing these lines, i.e. this Thursday, October 27, 2022, this financial boost is still awaited.
Also to read : Repairability index – which devices, which calculation method, where to find it, everything you need to know
The repair assistance fund has fallen behind, here’s why
As our colleagues on the site point out UFC What To Choose, this delay is mainly due to the method of allocating funds. Indeed, it turns out that consumers will be able to claim this bonus only if they use repairers with the “QualiRépar” label, a distinction created by Ecosystem, the non-profit eco-organization in charge of collecting , depollution and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
This label will allow “all repair professionals to belong to a network of qualified experts, able to offer consumers the long-awaited repair bonus”. Only, there is a catch as you can imagine. Aiming to provide a sufficiently large network of qualified repairers (between 600 and 700 repairers spread throughout France), labeling has been delayed.
This figure will only be reached in 2023 at best., and inevitably, the entry into force of the repair aid fund is delayed. In addition, the bonus was initially to represent 20% of the amount of the repair. From now on, this envelope increased to 10%… With an average price for a repair set at around 130 euros, the consumer would therefore have to pay around 115 €. What should divert users from buying a new product? The question still remains.
