New Start for the Repair Bonus: Safer, but with Longer Waiting Times
After an abrupt halt in the summer due to fraud, the repair bonus is now returning. In a revised version aimed at preventing fraud, customers can now apply for the bonus again. However, the security measures are associated with longer waiting times.
The repair bonus is a funding campaign of the Austrian Ministry of Climate Protection for the repair of electrical and electronic devices and is aimed at private individuals. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons/ Smoth 007 / CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)
The intention behind the repair bonus was to offer citizens financial relief for repair services, thus contributing to sustainability and climate protection. However, as is often the case when government subsidies flow, there are always fraudsters who try to profit from them. The ministry under Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler therefore stopped the payments in the summer and promised to make a new start in September.
How the repair bonus works
For those who want to have an appliance repaired, the process begins on the website www.reparaturbonus.at. Once a bonus is claimed, it can be redeemed at one of the participating businesses.
One major difference from the old system: customers must now pay the full repair amount up front and receive a partial refund later. This process is designed to ensure that fraud is prevented, but it also means that customers have to wait an average of four to six weeks for the bonus to be credited to their account.
Under the program, the state covers 50% of the repair costs, with the bonus limited to a maximum of 200 euros for a single device. However, there is no limit to how many devices can claim the bonus. A list of establishments where the bonus can be redeemed is available online. It is worth noting that the number of participating businesses has dropped from the original 3,500 to 2,000. The program will continue until the earmarked funding of 130 million euros has been used up or until 2026 at the latest.