I got a Kyocera laser and that's happy with compatible things from eBay.

I did consider laser printers Debster. And then I looked at their energy consumption.

You aren't the only one who worries about this sort of thing!
The trouble with ink tank printers is that you are supposed to leave them switched on all the time, so that they can do periodic nozzle cleaning. However, there's no denying that the ink is a LOT cheaper.
I have used firstcallinks for years without problems.
Which electricity company have you moved to (which presumably doesn't have standing charges)?

Ink prices are ridiculous. I bought a label maker last week. Checked on replacement ink first. Now they make tape that prints via heat so I bought that type. Works good-not sure how much new tape refills cost.

I have solar panels which give me around half my electricity so I don't look at energy consumption. Plus I don't do that much printing. The big plus for me is that laser printed things are waterproof and I sneeze a lot.

Tim - there are still no zero standing charge tarrifs (RIP Ebico - I seem to recall you once used them too?). And (you may already have seen) there are moves afoot to make the long-promised new zero SC tarrifs potentially unattractive and outside the price cap if/when they do come in (https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2025/07/martin-lewis-standing-charges-update/). I made the deicison to move to a 15 month fix with Fuse Energy as they are 100% green and have a 20p per day cheaper tarrif for standing charge (highest in the country in the NE due to the cost of maintenance of overhead power lines) and just 0.3p per kWh more than I am currently payng on a 1-year fix, which runs out in a few weeks. Using only 6 or 7 units per day, the new Octopus cheapest price is now almost £150 more than we are currently paying (and likely to go up more in future while the price cap continues to exist). It was a no-brainer for me, and I am sick of the Octopus silly gimmicks and silly offers. They've just got too big for their own good now.

HP ink tank printers have separate printer heads, so they are not the same as the Epson ones. There is supposed to be a very low consumption sleep mode, but I have yet to find the setting! Hidden in some online depth somewhere where most people will never bother to look for, let alone find it, no doubt.

Debster - ink jet ink is as waterproof as anyone will ever need. Labels on jars we have printed go through the dishwasher without running! Do your panels produce half your electricity in winter? Ours never did down south.

I'm going for an annual total. At the moment the electric meter is behind where it was in January.

Ha! Looks like I spoke too soon. Over the weekend the system stopped working and I will probably have to have a new inverter under warranty. Please send healing solar spells.

Must be a cosmic blip Debster - Bri@n's solar panel has died after 6 years (actually, in retrospect, after less than 4). No warranty. New one £569, plus removal/fitting from the caravan supplier, or £63 from the manufacturer and a couple of quid for some IPA as solvent to remove the old glue, and some 3M double sided tape to refit it. Apparenty most caravan solar panels only last 5 years!!!

I suspect you are in for a hefty fitting bill for the new inverter - if your replacement warranty is the same as ours was on our system down south, it only covers parts and not labour. Good luck!

Printers are sold as loss leaders for the ink supplies on the hope that people will be reluctant to buy a whole new printer each time it runs out of ink. That's why they're so keen that you don't use third party ink suppliers.

BW wites: but the point I was making Ian is that with tank printers they have no way of regulating what ink you use eventually to refill the tank, and the printers still continue to be cheap.