Only one in three Brits fix broken appliances and smartphones—despite soaring costs and growing e-waste crisis

Brits are far less likely to repair broken electrical appliances than many of their European neighbours — and cost and hassle are to blame. Just 29% of UK consumers say they’ve repaired a large household appliance in the last year, compared to 35% in the US and 61% in Italy, according to new research from NIM. Despite widespread concern about sustainability and rising prices, the UK lags behind in adopting a repair-first mindset.

Covering four product categories — smartphones, small and large household appliances, and other electrical devices, including computers and TVs — the survey was conducted by NIM amongst 14,000 consumers in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Poland, and the US.

The repair revolution
Roughly half of consumers had repaired an electrical appliance in the past 12 months, with large items, such as washing machines, refrigerators, or freezers, being the most commonly repaired. US consumers lead the list in this big-ticket category (35%), followed by Italy (30%) and the UK (29%).  Italians were the most likely overall to repair (61%), while Germany ranked lowest at 41%.

Smartphones, however, remain the least likely to be repaired—except in France, where attitudes were slightly more repair-friendly.

The price is right
Consumers in all countries stated that the lower cost of repairing an item compared to replacing it was the key driver of their decision to fix it. However, around 60% of consumers said the repair must be available at a ‘reasonable’ cost. This is typically considered to be 15-20% of the purchase price of a new model. Consumers in the UK, the US and France are especially reluctant to spend on repairs.

Interestingly, although sustainability is stated as a key motivation for repairing electrical items in Germany, France, and Austria, this did not correlate with a higher willingness to repair.

The barriers to mending
Price and effort are the main obstacles to repairing a broken appliance. In Germany, for instance, even if the cost is manageable, the hassle often isn’t worth it. Younger consumers are more likely to perceive the effort required to repair as high, and, along with those with higher incomes, are more likely to prefer a newer model over a fixed one. 

Although manufacturers often claim that consumers want to own the newest electronic appliances on the market, the research found that only one in five respondents said the desire for the latest model prevented them from repairing an old one. The drive to acquire the latest electronic appliance was unimportant in all seven markets.

The right to repair
More than 75% of consumers in every European market surveyed believe devices should be easier to fix. This trend is particularly evident in countries that have already adopted a mending mindset, such as Italy, where most people (85%) currently have their broken electrical appliances repaired. In the UK, 81% agreed broken devices should be easier to revive. 

We’re not so smart about smartphones  
Although the majority of people want electrical devices to be easier to repair in general, the story is different when diving deeper into purchase decisions on smartphones. Repairability came ninth out of 10 criteria for choosing a new handset. Battery life, price, and storage are more important than repairability, warranty, and regular software updates – all factors that can extend a device’s lifespan. 

Once again, the Italians prioritise repairability. Six in 10 said it was an essential factor when choosing a smartphone, and 26% had repaired their phone at least once in the past 12 months. More than half (51%) of Brits said that a repairability label would be helpful when choosing which model to purchase. The EU introduced this label in June 2025. 

Europeans favour a political framework for repairs
Should the government take measures to encourage repairs? At around 80% in the six European markets, the answer was a resounding yes, with only US consumers rejecting state involvement. The most popular measures are stricter obligations for manufacturers to provide spare parts and to offer repairs and extended warranties for repaired devices. 

Other ideas include reduced VAT on repairs and better labelling – although the latter is not to be relied on alone. However, in those markets where nationwide subsidies are available to fix broken devices, such as Austria and France, neither country has a particularly high repair frequency, suggesting that financial incentives alone aren't enough. 

“Costs and effort are key obstacles to establishing a broader repair culture in the UK,” says study author Dr Michael K Zürn. “Effective government measures are needed to realise the potential of repair services.”

The survey focused on four product categories: smartphones, small household appliances (coffee machine, vacuum cleaner, food processor), large household appliances (washing machine, fridge, freezer) and other electrical devices (PC, TV). The survey ran in March 2025 in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Poland and the US. There were 14000 respondents in total, 2000 in each country.

Nürnberg Institut für Marktentscheidungen e.V.
The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) is a non-profit research institute at the interface between science and practice. The NIM investigates how consumer decisions change as a result of new technologies, social trends or the application of behavioral science and what micro- and macroeconomic effects this has on the market and society. A better understanding of consumer decisions and their effects helps society, companies, politicians and consumers to make better decisions in the interests of a socio-ecological market economy and "prosperity for all".

The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions is the founder of GfK.
Further information at www.nim.org/en and LinkedIn

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Nürnberg Institut für Marktentscheidungen e.V.
Founder of GfK
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