Purchasing copiers, printers and scanners

Check the power consumption when purchasing new equipment. Choose the model with the lowest energy consumption in both the on and standby modes.

Different types of equipment

  • Laser printers
    Laser printers are fast and cheap to run. However, these printers cost more to purchase and use more power than inkjet printers.
  • Inkjet printers
    Inkjet printers are cheap to purchase, but expensive to run because of the price of replacement ink cartridges. They use less power than laser printers.
  • Scanners
    Go for scanners that take their power from the USB port and have an on/off button. Choose the size and functions to suit your requirements.
  • Copy machines
    Copy machines are either analogue or digital. Analogue machines are not very bulky and can only copy. Digital copiers are larger and faster. The can also come with a laser printer function.
  • Multifunction machines
    Multifunction machines are the ideal choice if you need more than one function. You can choose between laser and inkjet.

Purchasing advice

  • Use the Purchasing Guidelines
    The Trust’s Purchasing Guidelines are your guide to energy efficient purchasing and operation.
  • Rapid warm-up
    Choose machines which warm up quickly.
  • Standby
    Ask about machines with a standby consumption of 1 watt or less, and which quickly revert to normal operation after standby.
  • Power from the USB port
    Choose a model which takes its power from the USB port, uses less than 2.5 watts and switches off at the same time as the computer. Please note that some computers do not shut down the USB ports when the computer is switched off, so you should check this when making your purchase.
  • Duplex
    Go for duplex machines (print and/or copy on both sides of the paper).
  • Scanners
    Choose a scanner which has an on/off button.

Page last updated 06.10.2008

Break the curve