Currys boss Alex Baldock has called for VAT on refurbished electricals to be cut or reduced

“It has already been charged once on these products,” Baldock told The Guardian. “I would like to see a radical reduction or entire cut on these products.”

Currys is striving to do more in repair and resale, including using video calls with customers to solve problems with gadgets that can be easily fixed by resetting or reloading software.

While the retailer has been fixing web-enabled devices including TVs for a period of time, it is now experimenting with using live video to help solve issues with fridges and ovens.

Baldock said around 70% of laptops returned have no fault, with the problem often being related to software. He added that 30% to 40% of TVs returned are found to be in full working order.

The comments on VAT arrive after Vinted launched a new dedicated electronics category on its app and website, now trading in items such as speakers, headphones and smartwatches as demand for refurbished electronics grows.

The UK government is considering making sellers pay the full cost of consumer recycling under the extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme.

New measures could mean larger retailers will have to create free collection drop-off points for electrical items in-store.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) also said that from 2026, retailers and online sellers would have to collect any broken or rejected large electrical goods when delivering a replacement.

Baldock added that he hopes and believes the new government will “take a different stance” on EPR, arguing that if the recycling cost can’t be passed on to customers, then retailers will do less of it.