Case study - North London Repair Voucher Scheme: Lessons from the UK's first trial scheme for electrical repairs - ReLondon

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Skip to Navigation

Electricals and electronics

Repair

Reuse and repair

Businesses

Cities and institutions

Citizens

Communities

Government

Local authority

Waste management company

Case study

Case study – North London Repair Voucher Scheme: Lessons from the UK’s first trial scheme for electrical repairs

6 July 2026

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<br>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...