An electric household appliance comprising: a casing; a compartment housed inside the casing and facing an opening formed in the casing; a door fitted to the casing and movable between an open position and a closed position opening and closing the opening respectively; and a locking device for locking the door in the closed position to the casing; said locking device comprising: a box body fixed to the casing, alongside the door; latch means (8, 13) fitted to the box body to move between at least a lock position locking the door, and a release position releasing the door; and actuating means for selectively moving said latch means (8, 13) between said lock position and said release position; said latch means (8, 13) comprising: - a latch hinged to the box body to at least rotate, about a first axis, between said lock position locking said door, and in which the latch engages a catch on said door to hold the door in the closed position; and said release position releasing said door, and in which the latch is detached from the catch on the door to allow the door to move into the open position; and - a traction pin which is movable axially, along a second axis perpendicular to said first axis, in a reverse direction or a forward direction opposite the reverse direction, and is connected to the latch so that axial movement of the traction pin in the reverse direction rotates the latch into the release position; and said actuating means comprising: - a carriage which is fitted inside the box body to move axially along said second axis, and is connected to the traction pin; - a shape-memory thrust-bearing device comprising at least an electrically conducting resistance wire made of a shape-memory alloy and designed to vary in length alongside a variation in temperature; said resistance wire being connected to said carriage so that a reduction in the length of the resistance wire moves the carriage and the traction pin axially in the reverse direction; - elastic thrust means connected to the carriage to move it in the forward direction when the resistance wire increases in length; and - electric power means for powering said resistance wire and producing a controlled Joule-effect variation in temperature. - a latch hinged to the box body to at least rotate, about a first axis, between said lock position locking said door, and in which the latch engages a catch on said door to hold the door in the closed position; and said release position releasing said door, and in which the latch is detached from the catch on the door to allow the door to move into the open position; and - a traction pin which is movable axially, along a second axis perpendicular to said first axis, in a reverse direction or a forward direction opposite the reverse direction, and is connected to the latch so that axial movement of the traction pin in the reverse direction rotates the latch into the release position; and - a carriage which is fitted inside the box body to move axially along said second axis, and is connected to the traction pin; - a shape-memory thrust-bearing device comprising at least an electrically conducting resistance wire made of a shape-memory alloy and designed to vary in length alongside a variation in temperature; said resistance wire being connected to said carriage so that a reduction in the length of the resistance wire moves the carriage and the traction pin axially in the reverse direction; - elastic thrust means connected to the carriage to move it in the forward direction when the resistance wire increases in length; and - electric power means for powering said resistance wire and producing a controlled Joule-effect variation in temperature.