Repairing bonus pauses: what you need to know now!

Repairing bonus pauses: what you need to know now!

Dolomitenstadt, Österreich - The Austrian government has temporarily paused the repair bonus, a funding program that has been in force since 2022. This is done because the available funds from EU funds and national households are exhausted. Since the beginning of the program, around 130 million euros have been used for the repair bonus, of which around 1.7 million vists for repairs, services or maintenance were redeemed. Smartphones, dishwasher, washing machines and coffee machines were particularly often repaired. One reason for this popularity is the financial advantage: the grant is up to 50 percent of the repair costs, a maximum of 200 euros per device. Only one bon can be redeemed per repair case. According to the [Dolomitenstadt] (https://www.dolomitenstadt.at/2025/26/mittel-ausschoepft- repair bonus-waus, the validity of already issued bons remains for three weeks, so that affected households still have the opportunity to redeem them from one of the approximately 6,000 partner companies.

Climate Minister Norbert Tettschnig (ÖVP) emphasized that the funding stop does not mean the end of the repair bonus. He announced that the program will be evaluated to use future means more targeted and efficient. Despite the tense budget situation, there are positive prospects for a resumption of the program in 2025. In addition, 30 million euros are planned for the repair bonus for 2025, but due to the current budget situation, reduced agents are calculated, such as how Salzburg24 reported.

background and European context

The repair bonus in Austria is part of a broader movement that is supported by the EU. On Tuesday, the European Parliament adopted new rules for the “right to repair”. These rules aim to promote sustainable consumer and repair behavior, for example by prescribing that sellers have to repair them in mandatory during the warranty period if the costs are the same or lower than for a replacement. This is intended to reduce the waste and strengthen the repair industry, as explained in [Europarl] (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/de/press-room/202311711/eparieren-statt-neue-eu--e--fur- sustainable consumer behavior).

An interesting dimension of these new regulations is consumer law on repair for various devices, including household appliances and smartphones, even after the warranty period has expired. Independent repair companies should receive access to spare parts and information in order to remain competitive. In addition, national repair funds and vouchers are planned to increase the attractiveness of repairs and to reduce financial burdens for consumers.