Ministry of the Environment - Thousands apply for repair grant for electrical appliances
Cell phones, washing machines, ovens, blenders or swinging bows - many Thuringians have taken advantage of the state subsidy for the repair of electrical appliances this year. The number of applications has risen again compared to previous years to more than 13,000 so far, according to the Ministry of the Environment in Erfurt. Even in the final days of the year, the state repair bonus could still be applied for at the consumer advice center for repairs that have already been carried out. A new edition of the program is planned for 2024, announced Environment Minister Bernhard Stengele (Greens).
One million euros in the funding pot
Almost 20,000 applications for the grant have already been counted in the two years since 2021. Half of the repair costs are reimbursed up to a maximum of 100 euros per Thuringian per year. According to the ministry, the funding pot, which was topped up again in the fall, had a volume of around one million euros in 2023. Applications can be submitted online along with payment receipts. In the coming year, half a million euros have initially been earmarked for the program.
"The high demand and nationwide interest show that people are fed up with short-lived electronics. They are attached to tried and tested devices and don't want to scrap them, they want to repair them," explained the Minister. More repairs mean less electronic waste. In addition, repairs by regional providers are good for jobs in the workshops.
Minister in favor of "right to repair"
Stengele reiterated his demand that electrical appliances should be repairable and that their repair should not be more expensive than a new product. "That's why we are campaigning for a nationwide repair bonus at federal level and for the right to repair throughout the EU." Saxony followed suit in 2023 - other federal states are interested.
According to the consumer advice center, the bonus was also used for the repair of sewing machines, mixers or historical devices such as record players and radio recorders from the GDR era.
A new feature this year was the scientific monitoring of the project by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration (IZM) in Berlin. According to the ministry, results are expected in spring 2024. They are to be taken into account for the design of the Thuringian repair bonus next year.
The renewed increase in applications in 2023 shows that Thuringians would also like to have old appliances repaired. Many applicants stated that they had decided to have their appliances repaired because of the repair bonus, said Ralph Walther, Managing Director of the Thuringia Consumer Advice Center. In some cases, the work was also carried out in repair cafés.
Information from the consumer advice center
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- Bernhard Stengele, the Environment Minister of Thuringia, has announced a new edition of the repair grant program for electrical appliances in 2024, following the high demand and interest in repairs this year.
- The consumer advice center in Erfurt continues to accept repair applications for electrical appliances until the turn of the year, offering a repair bonus that reimburses half of the repair costs up to 100 euros per Thuringian per year.
- Environmentally-conscious consumers in Thuringia have taken advantage of the repair grant for cell phones, washing machines, and other electrical appliances, with the number of applications surpassing 13,000 this year.
- According to the Thuringia Consumer Advice Center, many applicants have chosen to have their appliances repaired due to the repair bonus, leading to less electronic waste and more repairs by regional providers.
- The Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration (IZM) in Berlin is monitoring the project for scientific purposes, providing data that will be used to improve the Thuringian repair bonus program in future years.
- Consumers in Thuringia have also used the repair bonus for the repair of unconventional electrical appliances, such as sewing machines, mixers, and even historical devices like record players and radio recorders from the GDR era.
Source: www.stern.de
