opinion poll
Acceptance of higher prices for sustainable electronic devices
Electronic devices are housed in a collection container at the Vaihingen recycling center run by the Stuttgart Waste Management Company (AWS). Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Environmental protection is very much in vogue, also in consumer electronics. When it comes to household appliances and electronics, power consumption plays a particularly important role. Other sustainability issues fall behind.
Consumers in Germany are willing to pay more for more environmentally friendly, more sustainable household appliances and consumer electronics, especially if they result in lower running costs after purchase. This is the result of a study by strategy consultants Oliver Wyman and gfu Consumer & Home Electronics GmbH, organizers of the IFA electronics trade fair, which was published in Berlin on Wednesday.
Before purchasing new devices, consumers concern themselves with the topic of saving energy. According to the study, they are willing to pay an average of 36 percent more for an energy efficiency class that is two levels higher than for an otherwise identical device. They would even accept a surcharge of up to 160 euros for a more energy-efficient washing machine. This value is 47 percent above the average base price of 340 euros.
Consumers are looking for good energy efficiency
According to Martin Schulte, partner and consumer goods expert at Oliver Wyman, consumers are more willing to pay if they also have a financial advantage themselves. “Especially for a washing machine or a refrigerator, they are quite willing to spend 200 euros more if they get a device with energy efficiency class C instead of E.” In view of increasing energy costs, the advantage for economical technology is growing. “Increasing energy prices ensure that additional expenditure for more energy-efficient household appliances and consumer electronics pays for itself much more quickly.”
On the other hand, the lowest possible C02 footprint to contain the climate crisis or the working conditions in production do not play such a major role in the purchase decision. For CO2-neutral production and a good recycling concept, the respondents accept a price premium of eleven percent on average. Willingness to dig deeper into their pockets for socially acceptable production is even lower. A surcharge of nine percent on average was accepted here.
The willingness of respondents to spend more money on sustainable products depends on their age and income situation. According to the study, the most receptive target group turned out to be people over 35 years of age with a monthly net income of more than 3,000 euros. “The willingness to pay for sustainable technology increases with age and disposable income,” said Sara Warneke, Managing Director of gfu.