MANUFACTURERS will have to provide spare parts for TVs, washing machines and fridges to allow customers to get them fixed more easily.
New rules that have been brought in today mean firms must make it easier for products to be repaired.
From today, companies will have to make spare parts for white goods and TVs available to consumers for the first time.
This means consumers can get electrical appliances fixed more easily if it breaks outside of its warranty period.
Spare parts and information on how to repair the machines will also have to be made available to professional tradesman for a minimum number of years.
The rules don't apply to things like computers or smartphones.
Your rights if you’ve got a faulty product
IF something you’ve bought has broken you may be able to get your money back but how you go about it depends on when the fault develops.
Under the Consumer Rights Act, you have 30 days from when you bought it (or delivered to you. Whatever one is latest) to reject the product and get your money back.
You also have the rights to ask the retailer to repair or replace the product within six months of purchasing it if it's broken. They must give you your money back if it can't be repaired or replaced.
Shoppers have up to six years to complain about a product that was faulty when they got it, but after six months you have to prove that it was broken when you received it.
If a fault develops after the first six months you may be able to claim your money back, get it repaired or replaced using the manufacturer's guarantee or warranty.
This is where the company promises to act if the product it sold to you isn't up to scratch. They usually last a year but sometimeslonger.
You'll need to speak to the retailer and bring your proof of purchase with you – either a receipt or bank statement.
If the fault develops outside of the guarantee or warranty period, you still have the right to complain under the Consumer Rights Act up to six years after you purchased the product.
Today's move is an attempt to tackle "premature obsolecene" – which is a short lifespan that has been deliberately built-in to an appliance.
This tactic by manufacturers can cost consumers more money if they have to pay for expensive repairs or replace the product.
Today's move is also an attempt to reduce the 1.5million tonnes of electrical waste created in the UK each year, by extending the lifespan of products by up to 10 years.
Adam French, Which? consumer rights expert, said: "Too often electrical items end up in landfill because they are either too costly or difficult to fix, so these new rules requiring manufacturers to make spare parts more widely available are a step in the right direction and should ensure products last longer and help reduce electrical waste."
He added: "As a next step, we want the government to extend these rules to cover more appliances, ensure the parts are available throughout the lifespan of each product and are easily affordable."
Martyn Allen, technical director at Electrical Safety First said consumers should be careful if they try and fix their appliances by themselves.
He said: "Poor repair work can lead to an increased risk of fire or electric shock. With many appliances being complex in their design and powered by mains electricity it is important that a competent professional carries out the work."
If you're concerned about what kind of impact your lifestyle has on the environment then we've come up with some ideas on how you can change – and make some cash at the same time.
One frugal mum-of-three even told us how she saves £100 a year by ditching loo roll.
We've also got a guide on how to turn your rubbish into cash with company recycling schemes.
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