For schools and colleges across the UK, balancing educational quality with increasingly limited budgets has never been more challenging. As institutions face ongoing funding constraints, many are searching for smarter ways to reduce operational costs without compromising the learning experience. One area with significant potential for savings, yet often overlooked, is the school print environment.
Enter Epson’s Heat-Free Printing Technology, now available through SOS Group under the NEPA (National Education Printer Agreement) framework. This revolutionary solution is helping schools across the North East and beyond transform their print infrastructure, save money, and improve sustainability—all while continuing to deliver high-quality education.
The Challenge: Budget Cuts and Their Impact on Education
With rising costs across the board and restricted public funding, educational institutions have had to make difficult decisions about where to cut back. Unfortunately, print resources are often one of the first areas to feel the squeeze. For teachers who rely on printed materials to support differentiated instruction, this can have a direct impact on student engagement and success.
A local GCSE and A-level Biology teacher shared their perspective:
“Being able to print is essential to being able to differentiate your teaching materials to make lessons accessible to the needs of the young people in your classroom. When schools are tightening the purse strings, printing is usually one of the first things to suffer, meaning the education of those needing differentiated materials also suffers!”
This insight highlights just how vital printing remains in the classroom. Despite the shift toward digital resources, many learners still benefit greatly from tactile materials, visual aids, and printed worksheets tailored to their individual needs.
Why Heat-Free Printing Makes Sense for Education
Epson’s Heat-Free Technology offers a game-changing alternative to traditional laser printing. Instead of using heat to fuse toner to paper, Epson inkjet devices use a cold process to eject ink, which results in lower energy usage, reduced waste, and faster performance.
Key benefits of Epson Heat-Free Printing for schools include:
- Lower Energy Consumption: Epson Heat-Free printers use up to 83% less energy compared to equivalent laser models. This translates to substantial savings on electricity bills, especially in institutions with large printer fleets.
- Reduced Maintenance Needs: With fewer moving parts and no need for heat, Epson printers experience fewer mechanical issues. That means less downtime, fewer technician callouts, and longer-lasting hardware.
- Faster Printing with No Warm-Up Time: The lack of warm-up means first-page prints are delivered almost instantly, helping to improve efficiency in busy school offices and staff rooms.
- Lower Total Cost of Ownership: With fewer consumables and reduced energy usage, Epson’s inkjet printers offer up to 50% lower overall running costs than comparable laser printers.
- Sustainability Benefits: Lower power use, reduced waste, and fewer parts make Epson Heat-Free devices an environmentally responsible choice for schools committed to sustainability goals.
Available via the NEPA Framework
One of the key ways schools and colleges can access Epson Heat-Free Printing Solutions is through the NEPA framework. Developed by the North Eastern Universities Purchasing Consortium (NEUPC), NEPA provides a compliant and cost-effective route for public sector educational institutions to procure print hardware and services.
As Epson’s official NEPA Partner for the North East, SOS Group works directly with schools, academies, and colleges to supply and install these energy-efficient printers. The framework simplifies procurement and offers clear pricing, reliable support. As well as fully managed print services to help reduce admin time and costs.
Real Savings, Real Impact
By switching to Epson Heat-Free devices under the NEPA framework, schools can:
- Reduce operational expenses
- Cut carbon emissions
- Improve uptime and reliability
- Enhance the learning environment by ensuring printing remains accessible to all staff and students
These savings could be redirected into front-line education, helping fund new resources, extra-curricular programmes, or learning support staff. In this way, reducing printing costs becomes more than a budget strategy – it becomes an opportunity to improve educational outcomes.
Support Every Step of the Way
At SOS Group, we understand the pressures educational institutions are under. That’s why we offer a consultative, supportive approach to upgrading your print environment. From site audits and print assessments to full installation, training, and support. We make the transition to Heat-Free Printing simple and stress-free.
Ready to Transform Your School’s Printing?
If your school, college or multi-academy trust is looking for a way to save money, reduce environmental impact and maintain high teaching standards. Epson’s Heat-Free Printing Technology could be the answer. Partner with SOS Group through the NEPA framework and discover how smart printing solutions can make a lasting difference.
Visit: https://sosgroup-ltd.co.uk/epson-nepa to learn more or speak to our team today.