In Thuringia, fewer electronic devices should end up in the garbage. Your repair has been supported by the state since the beginning of the month - and many citizens are taking part.
Erfurt (dpa/th) - The demand for the Thuringian repair bonus for electrical appliances is high. In the first four days since the relaunch of the state program at the end of May, 1,225 applications have already been received, the Thuringia consumer advice center said on request. She advises and processes the applications, which must be submitted online together with the repair invoices. The Ministry of the Environment spoke of a smooth start to the program, with which Thuringia was a pioneer nationwide in 2021.
The first applications would mainly relate to the repair of IT technology and household appliances, especially mobile phones, washing machines and dishwashers, said a spokesman for the Ministry of the Environment. "The first payment of approved applications will be made in a few days." Upon request, consumers can be reimbursed for half of the repair costs up to a maximum subsidy of 100 euros per year.
In 2021, a total of 6,500 applications for the state subsidy were approved within about four months, and then the subsidy pot was empty. According to the spokesman, the current number of applications after only four days was only available after three weeks in the previous year. The Environment Ministry's budget for the bonus program for this year is 600,000 euros. The ministry had already signaled at the start on May 31 that it was likely that the available funds would be used quickly.
According to the ministry, the gross invoice amount for repairs in workshops, electronics stores or customer services must be at least 50 euros in order to receive the bonus.
In repair cafés, where you have to do your own work, there is a subsidy for purchased spare parts - the minimum amount here is 25 euros. So far there have only been six applications from repair cafés that have been newly funded this year. The process to the application could take a little longer there, from troubleshooting to buying spare parts, it said.
