A new ‘right to repair’ law comes into force today, making a range of home appliances such as fridges, washing machines, and televisions cheaper to run.
The average consumer could now save around £75 under the new efficiency rules.
The government says the new ‘right to repair’ law on electrical products will tackle “premature obsolescence” – a short lifespan deliberately built into an appliance by manufacturers which leads to unnecessary and costly replacements for the consumer.
For the first time ever, manufacturers are now legally obliged to make spare parts for products available to consumers so that electrical appliances can be fixed easily.
It means that anyone buying white goods or televisions in shops or online can rest assured that if anything breaks outside of their warranty, spare parts will be available for them to get the appliance repaired.
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Not only will the change mean energy bill savings of £75 on average, the government says it will also tackle the 1.5 million tonnes of electrical waste that’s generated in the UK every year.
Changes are estimated to extend the lifespan of products by up to 10 years.
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The government says the new law on electrical products will tackle “premature obsolescence” / Credit: Flickr
Here’s the items the new rules apply to:
Refrigerators
Washing machines
Dishwashers
Electronic displays (including televisions)
Light sources and separate control gears
External power suppliers
Electric motors
Refrigerators with a direct sales function (e.g – fridges in supermarkets, vending machines for cold drinks)
Power transformers
Welding equipment
Consumers will still need to be within warranty or guarantee to get the repairs free of charge.
Those who are out of this period will most likely need to pay a professional or the manufacturer itself to fix the item, but in the past, the complexity of repairing these goods meant that it was often more cost-effective to buy a new one.
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Now, consumers could save hundreds by simply fixing the broken part instead, and even with repair fees, this could work out cheaper than buying an entirely new product.
The introduction of the law follows on from new energy labels that were introduced on 1 March to help consumers find out the electrical efficiency of their appliance.
Speaking on the introduction of the new law, Anne Marie Trevelyan – Minister of State for Energy – said: “The tougher standards coming in today will ensure more of our electrical goods can be fixed rather than have to be thrown away when they stop working, putting more money back in the pockets of consumers, as we build back greener.”
Environmental expert Libby Peake – Head of Resource Policy at Green Alliance – said that the new regulations “represent a small, first step towards giving people the long-lasting repairable products they want”.
However she said it was not accurate to say the new rules create a “legal right to repair”.
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“The government hasn’t given consumers any such right, as the spare parts and repairability criteria are only directed at professional repairers, not at the people who own products,” she said.
“There is also no guarantee that spare parts and repair services will be affordable, so considerable barriers remain to making this the easiest, default option.”
UK News
Popular American fast food franchise Shake Shack opens in Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester has just landed another big global franchise as Shake Shack has finally made its Northern debut with a first Manc location in The Trafford Centre.
With so many good burger joints and a million and one great places to grab a good portion of chips in town alone, they’ll have to hit the ground running to fight off the competition.
The well-known transatlantic multinational is nothing short of massive in the States, vying with the likes of In-N-Out Burger, Five Guys, Carl’s Jr, Whataburger and Wendy’s – just to name a rather large handful. Oh yeah, and Maccies, of course.
Yanks will debate until the cows come home (pardon the pun) about which is best, and many believe Shake Shack is right up there, so Manchester foodies have every right to be excited.
The New York-founded company already has multiple locations on this side of the pond, such as several in London, which is where we first sampled it for ourselves.
Other venues include Birmingham, Cambridge, Oxford and Cardiff, as well as one inside Gatwick Airport; as for the brand’s debut Manchester branch, Shake Shack UK no. 18 is also only their second Halal-friendly site here in Britain.
But what sets this burger and milkshake-driven brand apart from the others?
Well, for starters, you could argue they’re not even most famous for their patties, buns or shakes; the first time we ever heard about Shake Shack was regarding their fries – specifically, the crinkle-cut shape and that very American-style cheese sauce.
They have long proved divisive among the masses, but those who love them go NUTS for the stuff, and you’ll find all manner of fakeaway recipes online of people trying to make their best imitation of the side and sauce, specifically.
Put it this way, Colonel’s gravy on KFC chicken is what cheese sauce is on Shake Shack fries.
Richard Franks, Business Director at Shake Shack UK, said: “Manchester’s a city that does things ‘proper’; it’s full of heart, graft and great taste.
“We’re so pumped to be growing Shake Shack across the UK, and to be opening our first Northern Shack at the Trafford Centre. We can’t wait to be a part of this city.”
The major mall and North West tourist attraction’s Centre Director, Simon Layton, added: “We’re really excited to welcome Shake Shack’s first Northern restaurant to the Trafford Centre.
“We know our visitors are going to love getting their hands on those iconic ShackBurgers and crinkle-cut fries. It’s a huge moment for the North – and we can’t wait for everyone to experience it with us in 2026.”
Opening in place of the Costa in the Great Hall, the opening of Shake Shack Manchester at the Trafford Centre officially opens this week. Exciting times.
Football fans rage over the cost of the new England kits for 2026 World Cup
Danny Jones
It’s that time again: lots of Three Lions fans have been left furious over the cost of new England kits, and having seen the latest price, we’re not surprised.
No, seriously, the world of football fashion is getting seriously out of control…
With the squads for this month’s national team camp having just dropped, March has also seen the release of the new England home and away shirts – both of which are pretty nice, if you ask us.
In case you haven’t seen it already, here’s an extended look at the reveal video, which debuted the new white and red strips ahead of the 2026 World Cup over in the USA:
You can find the full England kit range and all the prices right HERE.
All that being said, something we don’t like the look of is the price tag, and we’re far from the only ones – a good chunk of social media is up in arms about it.
While one person said, “Baffling anyone paying those prices”, and another quipped, “Then treat yourself to a World Cup ticket for three grand” – match prices having also been raised as a concern – the general consensus seems to be ‘game’s gone’, to use a seemingly timeless phrase.
Another sarcastically wrote, “I have no idea why the counterfeit shirt economy is booming when you can get an original [at] such a good price.”
For example, it didn’t take long for someone to share their most recent and more affordable overseas order along with the caption: “Surely no one is genuinely paying £90 for that when you can get it just as good on DHGate for £10.”
While fake footy shirts are a growing obstacle for manufacturers and suppliers all over the world, for an increasing amount of the general public, it’s now becoming genuinely the only viable way they can justify spending money on the latest kits.
Its a nice kit. But I def do not have £155 lying about.
For context, the above post is an example of the authentic player version worn in matches, which features Nike’s breathable AERO-Fit fabric.
However, even just the standard adult replica version is currently retailing at nearly £90; juniors ‘Stadium’ shirts are priced at £64.99, a full kids ‘Mini’ kit is nearly £50, and even a pair of shorts will set you back either £44.99 or £32.99, depending on whether you’re a kid of grown-up.
When you take into account the countless parents hoping to put a smile on their little one’s face by getting their favourite player’s name on the back of the new England jersey in time for the World Cup, it’s no wonder the Classic Football Shirts and hand-me-down vintage kits culture is so strong.
The Manc -
1st July 2021 
