Repair is a key part of the circular economy: it extends the useful life of a product, reduces waste and avoids new purchases. However, the cost of repair can get in the way of people actually getting their items fixed, with individuals unlikely to repair something if the price is more than 30-35% of the cost of buying a new one[1].
That’s why the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) partnered with ReLondon and The Restart Project in 2024 to tackle this financial barrier. Funded by the North London Community Fund, the partners launched a targeted repair voucher scheme designed to boost the uptake of local repair services across seven north London boroughs. The scheme ran for 12 months between April 2025 and March 2026.
How did it work?
The scheme used a cost-sharing model whereby residents in seven north London boroughs could apply online for a discount on household electrical repairs, helping to drive footfall to high street repair shops while diverting valuable small electricals and tech from waste.
The “co-pay” model was chosen to help normalise the act of paying for repair services, supporting residents to build a greater sense of ownership and attachment by asking them to invest in their items. This model also makes efficient use of a finite voucher budget, enabling more repairs. Customers used a bespoke platform to apply for a 50% discount voucher (up to £50) to be redeemed at a participating business. The businesses were then reimbursed directly.
How was it delivered?
1. Scheme administration
A smooth customer journey for both voucher users and repair providers was critical to ensure uptake by both groups. To manage the voucher applications and reimbursement of repairers, a customised platform was created by FixFirst, who supported user journey development, business
onboarding and data collection, and reporting. Bespoke functionality was developed through a hands-on iterative process which built on feedback from businesses and user testing to simplify and remove initial barriers to entry.
2. Getting the word out
Continuous and consistent communications were necessary to encourage residents both to apply for a voucher and then to use it.
Marketing messaging focused on the potential cost savings created by the vouchers. This was delivered via multiple localised channels including out-of-home advertising, local council communications, ReLondon’s London Recycles and Repair Week campaigns, Restart and NLWA’s channels, and through the participating businesses.
Communication activity resulted in 4,000 applications, of which approx 3,600 were eligible.[2]. Uptake was high across various demographic groups that reflect London’s diversity.
Participants came from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, ranged in age from 18 to over 65 with significant interest from young people, and the majority of users who benefitted from the cost savings earned a lower income.
The cost saving message landed well, with 60% of applicants stating that cost saving was the main reason for applying for a voucher. When asked how they heard about the scheme, council channels were cited most often (29% of respondents). However, interestingly, those applicants who went on to use their vouchers were more likely to have heard about it from friends and family (29% of users) or on-street advertising (20%). Participating repair businesses also became active promoters of the scheme, with 9% of voucher users hearing directly from repairers.
Once eligible applicants had received their voucher, they were sent targeted emails to encourage them to use it, including reminders and signposting to repair shops. 35% proceeded to use their vouchers. This conversion rate is difficult to benchmark against other repair voucher schemes due to the variation in their scope, budget and duration but as a small pilot scheme, this pilot performs well.[3].
3. Recruiting repair providers
To make sure voucher users had enough choice of local providers to find the repair they needed, the scheme needed a broad range of participating repairers accepting vouchers.
The Restart Project conducted a detailed mapping exercise. Initially, 94 businesses were identified in three boroughs of which the majority offered tech repairs (e.g. laptops, phones, tablets) and only 30% offered repair of non-tech items (e.g. vacuum cleaners, lamps, radios). Outreach was then extended to find 22 more non-tech repairers in four additional north London boroughs to diversify the types of repair offered.
Encouraging repairers to participate was sometimes challenging. Reluctance was most common among small businesses (who were often only one person) lacking the time or capability to learn a new process or invest in expanding their capacity for a short-term scheme. To combat this, additional business support, including in-person visits and ongoing, responsive troubleshooting, was needed to build confidence and onboard them to the platform.
Ultimately, 14 businesses became active participants in the scheme, with 10 offering repair for tech items and 4 offering limited non-tech repairs for vacuum cleaners, lamps, radios and sewing machines.
What were the outcomes?
Over the 12-month period, almost 3,600 eligible residents applied for a voucher, resulting in the repair of more than 1,250 items. This single intervention averted approximately 1,500 kg of e-waste and prevented 50.4t of CO₂e[4]. In the case of 58% of users, it also avoided the purchase of a new item.
The types of items being repaired reflected the repair providers available. The majority (62%) of repairs were for tech items, 24% for vacuum cleaners, and the remaining for assorted small electrical items such as cameras, lamps and headphones. 67% of items repaired had been broken for less than two weeks, suggesting the voucher scheme was available at the right time for users who might otherwise have purchased a new replacement item.
Beyond the environmental benefits, the scheme confirmed that repair can create positive financial returns for residents.
The average value of a 50% voucher was £44, but feedback from voucher users suggests they saved an average of £54 each5 when factoring
in the savings on the cost of repair, and the fact they avoided buying a new item. Over half (60%) of these users earned less than £30,000 p.a.,
demonstrating the scheme’s potential to contribute to a fair, green transition.
I could not afford the repair without the voucher. Great scheme, thanks!
Beneficiary
The seven businesses who responded to a post-scheme survey reported they had also benefitted economically, driven by an increase in demand for services, with some noting that the voucher had helped to convert customers who might be put off by the cost of repair.
Importantly, this initiative demonstrated that removing financial barriers offers the potential to support a change in repairing intentions: 79% of
participants reported they were likely to repair again, and the majority (86%) said they would return to their chosen repair business.
Overall, when participants were asked whether they would recommend the scheme to friends and family, feedback was overwhelmingly positive, earning a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 96%, which is considered ‘excellent’ and indicates that most users would recommend it to friends and family.
I was so impressed with the service when I repaired my phone. The voucher scheme feels like a win-win for businesses, residents and the environment. Thank you!
Beneficiary
This is a marvellous scheme and really should be kept going. If it wasn’t for the scheme I would have had to throw my lamp away and buy a new one… I am extremely happy that I got to keep my lamp as I am quite attached to it. Thank you very much.
Beneficiary
Conclusion
The project has shown that individuals are motivated to repair when there is potential to save money. This is reflected by the high number of applications from a wide cross-section of Londoners, particularly those in lower income brackets who could benefit most.
Alongside immediate environmental benefits including reducing waste and carbon savings, a repair voucher scheme creates economic benefits for participants in the form of cost savings on not only the repair itself, but also the avoidance of having to buy a new item or go without. It also
indicates potential to change long-term behaviours that are then encouraged through peer networks.
What was learned?
Consistent, multi-channel communication is necessary to encourage uptake and use of vouchers.
Thanks to its natural alignment with council priorities, such as cost of living, sustainability and business support, local authorities became valuable partners in spreading the word, lending legitimacy and recognition to the scheme. And these channels were effective, being the most often cited source for how applicants heard about the vouchers.
However, for those participants who went on to use their voucher, friends and family referrals and on-street advertising were cited more often, suggesting that peer-to-peer influence and visual reminders like posters on a local street have a role to play in converting interest or intention into action.
While it is difficult to determine the effect of individual communication channels in isolation, the combination of different mediums, active throughout the scheme, was effective in attracting a variety of demographic groups. It shows that a combination of high reach, trusted sources, repeated
exposure and peer-to-peer influence are needed in driving uptake of the scheme and potential behaviour adoption.
Successful repair scheme delivery relies on the availability and mix of local providers
While resident interest in the voucher scheme was high, there was a shortage of relevant repair services, and the challenge of recruiting providers meant that some applicants were unable to use the scheme because there was no repair service for their product. This may help explain why only
35% of eligible applicants ended up using their voucher.
To ensure the increased demand is met, dedicated, tailored outreach is required to onboard the right mix of local providers, and for the scheme’s systems to align with their capacity and capability. The scheme showed that upfront effort pays off and those businesses who did join the scheme
were generally positive and keen to continue – several became active advocates and supported the scheme’s promotion.
In the longer term, a wider range of support measures are needed for local repair businesses, alongside repair vouchers, to increase the availability of – or avoid losing – repair services. This could include direct measures to reduce operating costs, training new repairers to join the repair business community, and systemic interventions to remove barriers to repair.
I was disappointed to find there are very few shops in my borough (Islington) that repair broken electricals. We need more repair shops!
Beneficiary
Continuous monitoring and partner coordination builds a better scheme
Throughout the project, data was gathered from users at the voucher application stage and after they had used their voucher. Businesses were also consulted throughout. This allowed an iterative approach to refining the platform and the customer journey for both groups. However, it was
necessary to balance data collection against the need for a frictionless application process.
Coordination between delivery partners to execute the three interconnected work streams of user engagement, business recruitment and platform development was also key, and required significant resourcing alongside the budget allocated specifically to the cost of vouchers.
What’s next?
Overall, as the first of its kind in the UK, the North London Repair Voucher Scheme has drawn out important insights into the potential power of incentives to create behaviour change, the current state of the repair economy for electronics, and the underlying demand for repair services.
Future iterations of the scheme could build in business support to ensure a range of repair providers can take part and benefit economically; continue to build understanding of the communication channels and messaging that resonate with Londoners; and collect further data to understand whether the scheme reinforces existing repair behaviour or creates new demand.
[1] Based on research from the French Environment and Energy Management Agency.
[2] The repair voucher scheme was available to residents of seven North London boroughs only: Haringey, Hackney, Waltham Forest, Enfield, Barnet, Camden and Islington. Residents of boroughs outside of this list were not eligible for a voucher.
[3] A repair voucher scheme for London – ReLondon
[4] These calculations build off the ‘Fixometer’ cradle-to-shelf life cycle assessment methodology developed by Restart which interpolates based on averages across all household electrical and electronic product categories which was subsequently adapted and applied to a repair voucher scheme run in Thuringia, Germany.