Printer ink can cost up to seven times the price of Dom Perignon champagne, according to Which?. The consumer champion has described the material as "one the most expensive liquids on Earth" and called for action.
According to Which?, a set of replacement ink cartridges for an Epson Workforce Pro WF3820DWF printer from the company's online store cost £111.99, which works out at £1.78 per ml. By contrast, Which? said, a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne bought from Ocado costs £180, or 24p per litre.
Despite this, nearly half of people surveyed by Which? (49%) said they continued to use branded ink rather than cheaper third-party alternatives. Using third-party ink when replacing cartridge three times a year for the same Epson printer would cost less than £140, Which? said, as opposed to over £330.
Many manufacturers discourage consumers from using third-party ink, and in some cases actively prevent it. HP uses a feature called "dynamic security" which blocks some of its printers working with cartridges that do not have an HP chip.
The company says it uses the practice to protect customer experience and its own intellectual copyright, as well as to cut down on counterfeiting. Which? is calling for the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate branded inks and the use of dynamic security.
Lisa Barber, Which? computing editor, said: "Our research shows third-party inks can offer good value and produce good quality prints for a fraction of the cost of their premium counterparts, so it’s highly concerning that printer manufacturers are discouraging consumers from using them.
"We are calling on the competition regulator to investigate branded printer ink pricing, with a special focus on the manufacturers actively blocking customers from exerting their right to choose the cheapest ink and therefore get a better deal."
A spokesperson for HP said: "Dynamic security is a process that authenticates print supplies to prevent the use of cartridges without an original HP chip, or with modified or non-HP circuitry. HP includes dynamic security to protect the quality of our customer experience, protect HP’s intellectual property, as well as reduce illegal counterfeiting of HP cartridges and warranty fraud."
