Kevin Bowden
Managing Director, Bowden Digitec
This is the page everyone wants but nobody in the industry likes writing, because the honest answer to "how much does a copier lease cost in the UK?" is: it depends. But "it depends" is a rubbish answer, so here is a proper breakdown with real UK figures from quotes we have written this year for offices in Kent, London and across the country.
Quick benchmark before we go further: a typical 15-person UK office on a 5-year lease pays £55 to £95 per month for the machine, plus roughly £40 to £90 per month in per-page charges depending on volume. Everything else on this page is the detail behind those numbers.
The Two Parts of a UK Copier Lease
Almost every UK copier lease has two costs: the monthly rental (for the hardware, financed through a UK lease funder like BNP Paribas, Grenke or CF Corporate Finance) and a Cost Per Copy (CPC) charge that covers toner, parts, engineer visits and consumables. Some suppliers bundle them into one figure to look cheaper. We keep them separate on every quote so you can see exactly what you are paying for. If a UK supplier will not split rental and CPC in writing, that is a warning sign.
Monthly Rental: What to Expect
For a decent A3 colour MFP, the kind that sits in most offices, you're looking at roughly:
Entry level (25-30ppm): £40 to £70 per month on a 5-year lease. Machines like the Develop ineo+ 251i or Sharp BP-70C31.
Mid-range (40-45ppm): £60 to £120 per month. This is where the Epson AM-C4000, Sharp BP-70C45 and Develop ineo+ 451i sit. Our most popular bracket.
High-end (55-65ppm): £100 to £200+ per month. The Epson AM-C6000, Sharp BP-70C65, Develop ineo+ 651i. For large offices, print rooms and multi-site head offices.
These are ballpark figures. The exact price depends on the machine, the term length (3 or 5 years usually), and whether you're adding extras like finishing units or additional paper trays.
Per-Page Charges: Where the Real Cost Hides
This is the bit that catches people out. A typical per-page charge in 2026 looks like:
Mono (black & white): 0.3p to 0.8p per page. If you're paying more than 1p per mono page, you're being overcharged.
Colour: 3p to 7p per page. Depends heavily on the machine and your volume. Higher volumes usually get lower per-page rates.
These charges cover toner, all maintenance, all engineer visits and all parts. You shouldn't be paying anything else on top. If a supplier quotes you a low per-page rate and then charges extra for engineer visits or "genuine toner surcharges," walk away.
Total Cost of Ownership: The Number That Matters
Don't just look at the monthly rental. Work out the total cost over the full lease term. Example:
A mid-range colour copier at £80/month on a 5-year lease = £4,800 in rental. If you do 5,000 mono pages at 0.5p and 1,000 colour pages at 5p per month, that's £75/month in per-page charges = £4,500 over 5 years. Total: £9,300.
Compare that to buying outright (£4,000 to £8,000 for the machine plus a service agreement at maybe £50 to £80/month) and you'll see why leasing often makes more sense, especially when the lease includes all maintenance.
What Affects the Price
Speed. Faster machines cost more. But don't overspend on speed you don't need. If you've got 8 people, you don't need a 65ppm machine.
Colour vs mono. If most of your printing is black and white, a mono machine like the Sharp BP-70M45 or BP-70M90 costs significantly less to run.
Paper size. A3 machines cost more than A4. If you never print A3, an Epson AM-C400 or AM-C550 will save you money.
Volume. Higher monthly volumes usually get better per-page rates. But some suppliers set a minimum volume. Make sure you'll actually hit it, or you'll pay for pages you never print.
Term length. Longer leases (5 years vs 3) usually mean lower monthly payments. But check the total. You might pay more overall.
Our Advice
Ring us. Seriously. We'll give you a straight quote based on what you actually need, not what we want to sell. We supply Epson, Sharp and Develop, so we're not tied to pushing one brand. If the cheapest option for your office is a £45/month Develop, that's what we'll quote.
And we'll put every cost in writing before you sign anything. No surprises. No hidden charges. No "oh, that's not included" six months in. Whether you need one machine for a small office or fifteen across multiple locations, the approach is the same: honest numbers, in writing, before you commit.
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