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 Consumption Housing Living Environment (CLCV), there is “a probable significant price increase” since the introduction of a “boost” from the State intended to encourage consumers to have this equipment repaired.
Charged by eco-organizations with setting up an observatory of the repair fund launched in mid-December, the association publishes an initial assessment of the first three months of the system. “It is still too early to draw a general conclusion, and we must remain cautious about the interpretation of the data”, insists the organization.
A probable “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 invoice by 22%. CLCV has also observed a sharp increase in its use since the start of the bonus. But the observatory fears “a probable 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, for the two most repaired product categories, there is now an average repair price of 164 euros for a dishwasher compared to 125 euros according to Ademe, and 146 euros for a dryer compared to 119 euros according to Ademe: “even by integrating 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 future observatories, she adds.
An uneven territorial network
CLCV also points to the still insufficient and uneven network of labeled stores in the territory. In mid-March, more than 1,200 stores were labeled “Quali Répar” (out of some 30,000 repair sites listed in France by Ademe). Several northern departments have 50 labeled stores, while others do not, such as Creuse and Lozère. In April, the government criticized the slowness of this start, promising to raise the amount of aid and threatening the big brands 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 request often concerns mobile phones, CLCV supports the repair of broken screens, which are still excluded.