THE RULES
Parts for 10 years
Washing machine makers must offer parts such as motors, pumps and door seals for at least 10 years after the last unit of a model goes on sale, delivered within 15 working days.
Check a partStart
REPAIR, IN PLAIN ENGLISH
Broken is not
always finished.
A worn door seal should not end a washing machine.
Since summer 2021, makers of washing machines, dishwashers and fridges sold in Great Britain have had to keep spare parts available for 7 to 10 years. Some you can order yourself. And at UK repair cafés, just over half of broken electricals brought in leave working.
53%fixed at UK repair events
Check a partKeep in mind
- Parts must be offered
- Some are for you
- Many fixes are simple
- Good for longer
THE SHORT ANSWER
Parts exist,
and fixes often work.
Repair is easier when the part is on sale.
For several big appliances, the law now makes sure it is.
COMMUNITY REPAIR
Over half fixed
Of 20,229 electrical items logged at UK repair events in a year, 10,701 were fixed: a 53% success rate. Lamps and sewing machines did best.
See the numbers
THE WASTE
Lost in the bin
UK research estimated 155,000 tonnes of electricals a year were thrown into household bins and incinerated or landfilled.
Where it goesA QUICK PARTS CHECK
How long must
the part be offered?
Pick a part. The bar shows the minimum years makers must keep it available after the last unit of the model goes on sale in Great Britain.
Based on Schedules 9 and 13 of the Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information Regulations 2021.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Half fixed,
too much binned.
One figure from UK community repair,
one from a national count of electrical waste.
53%
Electrical items fixed, Aug 2023 to Jul 2024
Repair attempts on 20,229 electrical and electronic items were logged at 2,081 events run by 261 groups, and 10,701 were fixed. Lamps (70%) and sewing machines (68%) had the highest success rates.
UK REPAIR EVENTS · RESTART PROJECT
155,000 tonnes
Electricals thrown in household bins each year
Part of at least 500,000 tonnes of waste electricals a year that were thrown away, hoarded, stolen or illegally exported, rather than reused or recycled.
BINNED · LANCASTER UNIVERSITY AND MATERIAL FOCUS
The lowest repair success rates were for DSLR and video cameras (27%), coffee makers (33%) and flat screens (35%). The main obstacles: spare parts not available, items too worn out, and no way to open the product.
FOUR STEPS BEFORE YOU REPLACE IT
Look for the part,
then the fixers.
A few checks can tell you whether a broken appliance has a future.
Step 1
Find the parts list
For washing machines and fridges, makers must publish the spare parts list and how to order on a website anyone can use free of charge.
Step 2
Check who can order it
Door seals, hinges, trays and dispensers can be ordered by you. Motors, pumps and circuit boards need only be offered to professional repairers.
Step 3
Try a repair café
There are now over 600 repair cafés across the UK, where volunteers help fix things. Lamps, vacuum cleaners and power tools are among the most often repaired.
Step 4
Keep it out of the bin
If it cannot be saved, take it for reuse or recycling. Electricals put in household bins end up incinerated or in landfill.
WHERE IT GOES
1.45 million tonnes
a year to deal with.
Research for Material Focus estimated that UK households and businesses bought 1.65 million tonnes of electricals in a year, and 1.45 million tonnes of electrical waste was available to be reused or recycled.
Of that, 82,000 tonnes of household electricals were processed by reuse organisations. When the government announced the spare parts rules, it said they were expected to extend the lifespan of products by up to 10 years.
Questions
Questions on the way
Do appliance makers have to sell spare parts?
For several product groups, yes. Since 2021, makers of washing machines, washer-dryers, dishwashers and fridges sold in Great Britain must keep listed spare parts available for at least 7 or 10 years after the last unit of a model goes on sale.
Can I buy the parts myself?
Some of them. For washing machines, doors, hinges, seals, the door lock and detergent dispensers must be offered to end-users. Parts such as motors, pumps and circuit boards need only be offered to professional repairers.
How quickly must a part arrive?
The regulations say makers must deliver spare parts within 15 working days of receiving an order, during the period the parts must be available.
Do repair cafés actually fix things?
Often. Across 20,229 electrical items logged at UK repair events between August 2023 and July 2024, 10,701 were fixed, a 53% success rate.
Are phones and laptops covered?
Not by the 2021 Regulations, which cover product groups such as fridges, dishwashers, washing machines, electronic displays, welding equipment and electric motors.
Destination
Where the facts come from
- GOV.UK: Electrical appliances to be cheaper to run and last longer with new standards (10 March 2021)
- legislation.gov.uk: S.I. 2021/745, Schedule 9, ecodesign requirements for household washing machines and washer-dryers
- legislation.gov.uk: S.I. 2021/745, Schedule 13, ecodesign requirements for refrigerating appliances
- legislation.gov.uk: The Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information Regulations 2021, contents
- Lancaster University: UK households and businesses are producing 1.45 million tonnes of electrical waste per annum
- The Restart Project: UK factsheet, addendum to the Open Repair Alliance report The Rise of Community Repair (PDF)
Updated