One of the most common opening questions we get is "what does it cost to lease a photocopier?" — usually with the expectation of a single number. The honest answer: it depends on the size of machine, your print volumes, the lease term and what you bundle in. But you can absolutely get a useful range, and that's what this post is for.

Indicative monthly lease costs

These are realistic UK figures for 2025–2026 on a 5-year lease, including basic delivery and install but excluding service contracts and consumables (which are typically billed separately or bundled in).

  • Compact A4 colour MFD (light office use, ~30 pages per minute): £35–£55/month
  • Mid-range A3 colour MFD (most common office workhorse, 25–35 ppm A3): £60–£110/month
  • High-volume A3 colour MFD (50+ ppm, finishing options, larger paper trays): £120–£220/month
  • Production-class A3 device (booklet finishing, advanced colour management): £250–£500+/month

Lease term affects the monthly figure significantly. A 3-year term costs more per month than a 5-year, but you upgrade sooner. Most clients pick 5 years for the lowest monthly figure on a stable need.

What's included in the lease price

The base lease usually covers the hardware itself, delivery, professional installation, basic network setup, and staff training. It typically does not cover:

  • Toner and other consumables (drum, fuser, etc.)
  • Parts and labour for repairs
  • Scheduled servicing
  • End-of-life machine collection (sometimes — read the small print)

This is why almost every lease we sell is bundled with a cost-per-page service contract: it makes the monthly bill simple and predictable.

Cost-per-page (CPP) — what to expect

Realistic UK CPP figures for 2025:

  • Mono A4 page: 0.4p – 1.0p
  • Colour A4 page: 3p – 6p

CPP usually includes toner, parts, labour, scheduled maintenance and remote monitoring. It's the cheapest way to run a busy machine.

Worked example

An accountancy firm with two offices, doing about 8,000 mono and 1,500 colour pages a month, on a mid-range A3 colour MFD:

  • Lease: ~£85/month
  • CPP service: 8,000 × 0.7p + 1,500 × 4p = £56 + £60 = £116/month
  • Total: ~£201/month, all-in.

That's everything — toner, repairs, scheduled servicing, the machine itself. No surprise invoices. No purchase orders for cartridges.

Hidden costs to watch out for

A few things in lease contracts that bite people:

  • Auto-renewal clauses. Some agreements auto-renew for 12 months unless you give written notice 90+ days before the end. Always check the end-of-term process.
  • Minimum monthly volumes. CPP contracts sometimes include a minimum that you'll pay even if you don't print. Worth knowing in low-print months.
  • Mid-term termination fees. Leases are credit agreements — you commit for the full term. If you need to exit early, expect to settle the remaining payments.
  • End-of-lease fees. Some leases charge collection or "fair wear and tear" fees at the end. Ask upfront.

How to get a realistic quote

The fastest way to get an accurate number is to share your current monthly print volumes (split mono vs colour) and what you're paying today (the lease and the toner/repair side). A good supplier will benchmark against that and tell you exactly where the savings come from. If they won't quote without a sales meeting and a 90-minute discovery call, that's usually a flag.

W·A·Hutton have been supplying and managing print solutions across the North of England since 1925. To find out more, call us on 0161 822 0864 or get in touch here.