Date, amount, conditions… Help arrives for French people who need to repair their smartphone

In an ecological and economic dynamic, Christophe Béchu, Minister of Ecological Transition, confirms in an interview with Quest-France, the introduction of financial support for the repair of smartphones, a gesture aimed at diverting consumers from the reflex to throw away their defective or damaged devices. This initiative is a continuation of the “repair bonus” initiated by the government the previous year, a mechanism aimed at encouraging the repair of household appliances through financial support varying between 10 and 45 euros.

However, until now, this help has not been applied to smartphones. On September 30, 2023, Béchu bluntly admitted in the newspaper that the device had not yet materialized for telephones. Launched on December 15, 2022, the repair bonus is almost in its first year of application. Does the amount of aid, initially announced at 25 euros for smartphones, seem to be maintained? The minister reassures in any case that the measure will actually be put in place on January 1st.

Bonus expansion: cracked screens and more authorized repairers

Christophe Béchy, while remaining vague on financial details, expresses the ambition to revitalize the program by “increasing bonuses by at least 5 euros on all products” and plans to “double” the premium in three categories, including televisions. In addition, the bonus will now be “extended to other services”, including phone screen repair, an option not previously offered. The effort aims to boost a program that has had a “soft start,” in the minister’s own words, and these adjustments are expected to propel the initiative into the new year.

So, to ensure a successful trajectory for the repair bonus, Béchu admits that it is imperative to “simplify the process of labeling repairers” to accredit more of them. Indeed, to benefit from the aid, the repair must be carried out by a professional certified with the QualiRérar label, who is subsequently reimbursed by partner entities. However, certified repairers are rare. At the end of April 2023, only 1,200 were recorded. According to the QualiRépar website, 117,954 household appliance repairs have been carried out to date, indicating a certain consumer interest in these ecological and economic initiatives.

With these new provisions and adaptations of the program, the French government seems determined to breathe new life into this ecological initiative, encouraging repair rather than replacement, and taking another step towards a more circular and sustainable economy.