In Germany, less than half of the printers in business environments are business inkjet printers1. And this is despite the fact that they enable enormous energy savings compared to laser printers, as a new study by Epson shows.
In view of significantly rising energy prices, around 77 percent of the IT managers from Germany surveyed in the study named reducing power consumption as their primary goal due to rising energy costs. For this reason, around 62 per cent are also concerned about the power consumption of printers.
The respondents are well aware of the role inkjet printers can play in keeping electricity bills low - this is what the survey among IT decision-makers, users and influencers in Germany showed. Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) expect inkjet printers to help them reduce costs. And more than two-thirds (68 per cent) want an even better understanding of ways to save energy. Changing the printer technology used also plays a role.
Yet inkjet printers used in the commercial sector account for a smaller share of the total compared to lasers, even though they can be up to 90 per cent more energy efficient than laser printers, depending on the type of printer2. The news comes at a time when energy prices are expected to rise by an average of 50 per cent in 20223, according to the World Bank. Most regions are in a cost-of-living crisis and many are experiencing energy poverty4.
Commenting on the findings, Leonie Sterk, CSR Manager at Epson in Germany, said: "With the rising cost of energy, it is vital that companies take every opportunity to reduce their expenditure. Businesses need to move faster in adopting energy efficient technologies. A single printer alone may not save much money, but an entire fleet of business printers could make significant savings by switching from laser to inkjet. And it's not just costs that can be reduced. Reducing energy consumption in this way will also drastically reduce the amount of CO2 emissions produced, helping to address the sustainability concern."
Significantly, a clear majority of respondents (58 per cent) say that clear management and tight control of their fleet of peripherals is an important and central part of their company's environmental and sustainability policy. A simple change in printing technology from laser to ink technology was said to be an important step in addressing this issue.
Further results:
About two-thirds of IT managers surveyed (68 per cent) say they are looking to reduce maintenance costs in addition to electricity costs.
More than half (54 per cent of respondents) say they will focus on introducing new methods to reduce energy costs.
For 58 per cent, controlling the power consumption of technologies will be an important issue in the next 12 months.
84 per cent think it is important to look at how to reduce energy costs in their company.
For 86 per cent, reducing costs while keeping the company's environmental goals in mind is of great importance.
1IDC data
