Austria introduces a repair bonus for electronic devices

In June 2021, the Ministry of the Environment in Thuringia announced a support program together with the consumer center. Customers have been reimbursed half of the costs if they have their electronic device repaired instead of throwing it away. Under the website www.reparaturbonus-thueringen.de you can fill out an application form and also upload the repair invoice and proof of payment.

Alternatively, you can also send the documents by post to the Thuringia consumer advice center. After a check, you will then receive half of the invoice amount. A maximum of 100 euros per household and calendar year is reimbursed. Austria is now following this example and going a step further. In the Alpine Republic, a nationwide repair bonus program started to get German citizens to have broken electronic devices repaired instead of throwing them away.

Right to repair in Austria: Half of the repair costs will be reimbursed

Since the end of April, the government has been promoting the repair of electronic devices that contain power cords, rechargeable batteries, batteries or solar modules. For all repairs up to a value of 400 euros, 50 percent of the repair costs are reimbursed. For a cost estimate for a repair, there is a maximum of 30 euros back. Smartphones, laptops, game consoles, headphones, washing machines etc. are eligible. Electric cars, plug-in hybrids, e-bikes and all devices that require electricity from non-renewable energy sources such as natural gas, petrol or diesel as well as electricity are explicitly excluded from the repair bonus producing devices that cannot be operated electrically.

A repair voucher can be generated as a QR code via the website, whereby a comparison with the population register in Austria takes place. The voucher expires after three weeks. According to the information, the voucher can be redeemed in over 1,200 partner companies. The repair bonus in Thuringia is to be relaunched in the second half of 2022 after the concept was successfully launched last year. However, the budget is only around 600,000 euros, if there is no more money in the treasury, there is no longer a repair bonus. Although the traffic light government is also planning a national “right to repair”, this does not yet exist in Germany.

Also worth reading: Fight against e-waste: Electrical devices are rarely repaired

Collection for the repair bonus in Austria:

• In Austria there is a national repair bonus that covers 50 percent of the repair costs. The maximum repair bonus is 200 euros.
• Smartphones, laptops, game consoles, headphones, washing machines and much more are eligible
• Electric cars, plug-in hybrids and e-bikes are excluded.
• A repair voucher can be generated as a QR code via the website, whereby a comparison with the population register in Austria takes place. The voucher expires after three weeks.

Sources: repair bonus, Thuringia