It is still early to draw definitive conclusions but a consumer association nevertheless warns of a possible increase in prices for the repair of electrical and electronic devices. According to Consommation Logement Cadre de Vie (CLCV), there is "a likely significant price increase" since the introduction of a "boost" from the State to encourage consumers to repair this equipment.

Charged by eco-organizations to set up an observatory of the repair fund launched in mid-December, the association publishes a first assessment of the first three months of the device. "It is still too early to draw a general conclusion, and caution should be exercised in interpreting the data," the agency said.

Likely "significant inflation"

At this stage, the repair bonus, which ranges from 10 to 45 euros depending on the device repaired, has averaged 24 euros, and has reduced the price of the bill by 22%. CLCV also observes a sharp increase in its use, since the start of the bonus. But the observatory fears "a likely significant increase" in the average price of repairs.

It is difficult to compare perfectly before and after the bonus, because the ADEME figures, used for the comparison, were based on expert estimates. However, on the two categories of most repaired products, it now appears an average repair price of 164 euros for a dishwasher against 125 euros according to Ademe, and 146 euros for a dryer against 119 euros according to Ademe: "even including a margin of error, it is likely that the price of these repairs has experienced significant inflation", notes the association. The evolution of repair prices will be refined in the next observatories, she adds.

An unequal territorial network

CLCV also points to the still insufficient and uneven network of labeled stores on the territory. In mid-March, more than 1,200 stores were labeled "Quali Répar" (out of some 30,000 repair sites identified in France by Ademe). Several departments in the north have 50 labeled stores, while others do not, such as Creuse and Lozère. In April, the government criticized the slow pace of this start, promising to increase the amount of aid and threatening major retailers to force them to join the network.

The "repair bonus" was created by law to extend the life of equipment. To date, some 20,000 repairs have benefited from this bonus, financed by the "eco-contributions" included in the price of all devices. While the demand often concerns mobile phones, CLCV supports support for the repair of broken screens, still excluded.

  • Economy
  • Consumers
  • Inflation
  • Household appliance