To buy, or not to buy: Fix is the answer, for appliances

The 2021 Census of Population counted nearly 15 million private dwellings nationwide occupied by their usual residents, giving us an idea of just how many refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers and other appliances Canadians need for day-to-day living.

Whether you’re a homeowner, tenant or landlord, chances are if you tried to buy an appliance in late 2021 and throughout 2022, you may have had to wait a long time for one—largely because of supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

While supply chains have improved and it may be easier to get an appliance nowadays, there’s always been the option of fixing an existing one if the currents turn awry on the mortal coil and it needs repair. However, as our data indicate, you may not get a service call right away!

Do you have a repair shop close by?

There were 2,826 business locations nationwide in the appliance repair and maintenance industry in December 2023. Businesses in this industry primarily repair and maintain household appliances, but do not sell new equipment.

About one-third of these locations reported staff numbers, and most are small businesses. Of the locations reporting staff numbers, three in four (75.5%) had between one and four employees. Roughly 1 in 6 (17.1%) had 5 to 9 employees, while most of the remaining locations had 10 to 19 staff.

More technicians needed

There were 245 job vacancies nationwide for appliance servicers and repairers in the third quarter of 2023, down from 375 relative to the same quarter a year earlier. The average offered hourly wage was $23.80, rising to $30.25 for positions requiring three years to less than five years of experience.

Repairs costing more

Consumers paid 7.8% more in February 2024 on a year-over-year basis for services related to household furnishings and equipment, including appliance repair. Prices for these services have trended upward over the past few years, including an 8.8% year-over-year increase observed in March 2023.

Conversely, consumer prices for new household appliances have mostly decreased since the recent peak in April 2022, when they increased 12.0%. In February 2024, prices were down 2.2% compared with the same month a year earlier.

More repairs, less waste

Although ferrous metals, mixed metals, copper and aluminum, plastics, and electronics—all found in appliances—combined to make up 14.1% of the 9.9 million tonnes of materials sent to recycling facilities and diverted from waste in 2020, a record amount of overall residential waste (10.9 million tonnes) still ended up at the curb that year in Canada.

So, the more appliances that can be fixed and kept working, the better for the environment!