The short answer. The price on the listing is often the smaller part of what a product costs. Of 34 products in this first edition, 23 have a purchase price we can count, and for 16 of them more than half of the five-year cost comes after checkout: ink, filters, heads, parts or a subscription plan.
We call that the after-checkout share: the part of a product's five-year cost that you pay after the day you buy it. It runs from 0% (an ink tank with enough ink in the box, a doorbell with no plan) to 90% (an alarm kit on a professional monitoring plan).
First edition, 1 November 2026. Every figure is one Look Into has already published, on the page and date named beside it. Look Into has not handled these products.
Prices and specs last checked by Look Into on 31 October 2026 · next check 29 January 2027 · how we picked
What the index found
- The cheapest printer to buy is not the cheapest to own. The Canon PIXMA TS3750i costs £34.99. At 600 black pages a year it costs £241.16 over five years. The Epson EcoTank ET-2861 costs £144.01 more to buy, but the 4,500 pages of ink in its box outlast five years at that rate, so its five-year cost stays at £179.00: £62.16 less.
- Most of a Ring doorbell's cost is the plan. The Ring Battery Video Doorbell is £79.99. With the Ring Solo plan at £49.99 a year, needed for recorded video, five years costs £329.94, and 76% of that is the plan. The eufy S220 records locally with no fee and stays at £179.00.
- A cheaper air purifier can cost more by its second year. The Blueair Blue Pure 511 is £46.01 cheaper to buy than the Philips 600 Series. On each maker's own filter interval (every six months for the Blueair, up to 12 months for the Philips) the Blueair has cost more by month 18, when its third filter is due: £147.99 against £143.99.
- Monitoring plans dwarf the hardware. The Yale Sync kit is £229.99. On the Secure Pro plan, with 24/7 professional monitoring at £36 a month, five years costs £2,389.99, and 90% of it is the plan. On Yale's free plan it stays at £229.99.
- Toothbrush heads are cheap per year but spread widely. Four heads a year costs £3.38 from the cheapest compatible pack and £21.32 from the dearest recyclable one. Five years runs from £16.90 to £106.60, before the handle.
These products come from Look Into's own buying guides, so they are a selection, not a sample of the market. The percentages describe these products only.
Work out an ownership cost
Pick a category, tick up to three products to compare, and choose how many years. You can change any price. If your product is not listed, add it yourself. The calculator shows its working under each result.
The index: every product, one, three and five years
Each total is the purchase price plus the running cost for that many years, with prices held where they were on the date read. Five-year figures are therefore an estimate, not a measured cost.
Printers
Figures from Best printers UK, read 15 September 2026. Running costs counted 600 black pages a year.
| Product | To buy | What keeps costing | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon PIXMA TS3750i | £34.99 | Black ink or toner, 400 pages for £27.49 | £76.22 | £158.69 | £241.16 |
| HP DeskJet 2922 | £44.00 | Black ink or toner, 320 pages for £25.99 | £92.73 | £190.19 | £287.66 |
| Epson Expression Home XP-2200 | £44.99 | Black ink or toner, 500 pages for £33.99 | £85.78 | £167.35 | £248.93 |
| Canon PIXMA TS7750i | £86.32 | Black ink or toner, 300 pages for £27.49 | £141.30 | £251.26 | £361.22 |
| HP LaserJet M110w | £74.97 | Black ink or toner, 950 pages for £48.96 | £90.43 | £152.28 | £214.12 |
| Brother HL-L2400DW | £99.59 | Black ink or toner, 3,000 pages for £90.82 | £99.59 | £132.89 | £169.22 |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2861 | £179.00 | Black ink or toner, 4,500 pages for £9.45 | £179.00 | £179.00 | £179.00 |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2950 | £254.99 | Black ink or toner, 7,500 pages for £14.85 | £254.99 | £254.99 | £254.99 |
Video doorbells
Figures from The Subscription Tax Index, read 15 September 2026. Running costs counted plan paid annually; monthly-only plans at 12 months.
| Product | To buy | What keeps costing | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ring Battery Video Doorbell | £79.99 | Ring Solo plan, £49.99 a year | £129.98 | £229.96 | £329.94 |
| Google Nest Doorbell (battery) | £179.99 | Google Home Premium Standard, £80 a year | £259.99 | £419.99 | £579.99 |
| eufy Video Doorbell S220 (HomeBase included) | £179.00 | No plan needed (local recording) | £179.00 | £179.00 | £179.00 |
Smart alarms
Figures from The Subscription Tax Index, read 15 September 2026. Running costs counted plan paid annually; monthly-only plans at 12 months.
| Product | To buy | What keeps costing | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yale Sync alarm kit, Free plan | £229.99 | Free plan | £229.99 | £229.99 | £229.99 |
| Yale Sync alarm kit, Alarm plan | £229.99 | £5 a month | £289.99 | £409.99 | £529.99 |
| Yale Sync alarm kit, Secure plan | £229.99 | £9 a month | £337.99 | £553.99 | £769.99 |
| Yale Sync alarm kit, Secure Pro plan | £229.99 | £36 a month | £661.99 | £1,525.99 | £2,389.99 |
| Ring Alarm Pack S (2nd Gen), free app | £219.99 | Free app use | £219.99 | £219.99 | £219.99 |
| Ring Alarm Pack S (2nd Gen), Guard Response | £219.99 | £299.99 a year | £519.98 | £1,119.96 | £1,719.94 |
| SimpliSafe The Starter, Self Monitoring | £256.45 | 42p a day | £409.75 | £716.35 | £1,022.95 |
| SimpliSafe The Starter, Pro Standard | £256.45 | 66p a day | £497.35 | £979.15 | £1,460.95 |
| SimpliSafe The Starter, Pro Premium | £256.45 | 99p a day | £617.80 | £1,340.50 | £2,063.20 |
Air purifiers
Figures from Best air purifiers UK, read 13 October 2026 (prices), 10 September 2026 (filter intervals). Running costs counted at the maker's stated interval.
| Product | To buy | What keeps costing | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips 600 Series | £119.00 | Genuine filter £24.99 every 12 months (maker says "up to", so a minimum) | £143.99 | £193.97 | £243.95 |
| Blueair Blue Pure 511 | £72.99 | Genuine filter £25.00 every 6 months | £122.99 | £222.99 | £322.99 |
| Philips 900 Series | not counted | Genuine filter £39.99 every 12 months (maker says "up to", so a minimum) | £39.99 | £119.97 | £199.95 |
| Winix 5500-2 | not counted | Genuine filter £53.37 every 12 months | £53.37 | £160.11 | £266.85 |
| Philips 3200 Series | not counted | Genuine filter £69.99 every 12 months (maker says "up to", so a minimum) | £69.99 | £209.97 | £349.95 |
Purchase price not stated exactly on the source page; filters only.
Toothbrush heads
Figures from Best electric toothbrush heads UK, read 28 October 2026. Running costs counted at the maker's stated interval.
| Product | To buy | What keeps costing | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yanaboo compatible, 8 pack | not counted | Four heads a year from a £6.76 pack of 8 | £3.38 | £10.14 | £16.90 |
| Oral-B Pro CrossAction, 10 pack | not counted | Four heads a year from a £20.25 pack of 10 | £8.10 | £24.30 | £40.50 |
| Oral-B Pro CrossAction, 4 pack | not counted | Four heads a year from a £9.20 pack of 4 | £9.20 | £27.60 | £46.00 |
| Oral-B iO Ultimate Clean, 8 pack | not counted | Four heads a year from a £34.00 pack of 8 | £17.00 | £51.00 | £85.00 |
| Philips Sonicare C1 ProResults, 4 pack | not counted | Four heads a year from a £19.99 pack of 4 | £19.99 | £59.97 | £99.95 |
| SURI recyclable, 3 pack | not counted | Four heads a year from a £15.99 pack of 3 | £21.32 | £63.96 | £106.60 |
Heads only; the handle is not included.
Robot vacuum parts
Figures from The Subscription Tax Index, read 15 September 2026. Running costs counted at the maker's stated interval.
| Product | To buy | What keeps costing | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eufy X10 Pro Omni | £599.00 | Parts kit £34.99 every 3 to 6 months | £668.98 | £808.94 | £948.90 |
| Dreame X40 Ultra / L40 Ultra | not counted | Accessory set £74.99 about every six months | £149.98 | £449.94 | £749.90 |
| iRobot Roomba i series | not counted | Replenishment kit £49.99 (3 filters), filter every 2 months; bags not counted | £99.98 | £299.94 | £499.90 |
Robot price not on the source page; parts only.
Every product, sorted: one to ten years
All 34 products in one table. Choose a category or sort by any column. Each figure carries one of three labels:
- Listing priceTo buy, as read on the date for that category
- Maker’s interval or plan priceRunning a year
- Calculated estimateEvery total
Showing 34 products.
| Canon PIXMA TS3750i | Printers | £34.99 | £41.23p | £76.22 | £158.69 | £241.16 | £447.34 | 85% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP DeskJet 2922 | Printers | £44.00 | £48.73p | £92.73 | £190.19 | £287.66 | £531.31 | 85% |
| Epson Expression Home XP-2200 | Printers | £44.99 | £40.79p | £85.78 | £167.35 | £248.93 | £452.87 | 82% |
| Canon PIXMA TS7750i | Printers | £86.32 | £54.98p | £141.30 | £251.26 | £361.22 | £636.12 | 76% |
| HP LaserJet M110w | Printers | £74.97 | £30.92p | £90.43 | £152.28 | £214.12 | £368.73 | 65% |
| Brother HL-L2400DW | Printers | £99.59 | £18.16p | £99.59 | £132.89 | £169.22 | £260.04 | 41% |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2861 | Printers | £179.00 | £1.26p | £179.00 | £179.00 | £179.00 | £182.15 | 0% |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2950 | Printers | £254.99 | £1.19p | £254.99 | £254.99 | £254.99 | £254.99 | 0% |
| Ring Battery Video Doorbell | Video doorbells | £79.99 | £49.99 | £129.98 | £229.96 | £329.94 | £579.89 | 76% |
| Google Nest Doorbell (battery) | Video doorbells | £179.99 | £80.00 | £259.99 | £419.99 | £579.99 | £979.99 | 69% |
| eufy Video Doorbell S220 (HomeBase included) | Video doorbells | £179.00 | £0.00 | £179.00 | £179.00 | £179.00 | £179.00 | 0% |
| Yale Sync alarm kit, Free plan | Smart alarms | £229.99 | £0.00 | £229.99 | £229.99 | £229.99 | £229.99 | 0% |
| Yale Sync alarm kit, Alarm plan | Smart alarms | £229.99 | £60.00 | £289.99 | £409.99 | £529.99 | £829.99 | 57% |
| Yale Sync alarm kit, Secure plan | Smart alarms | £229.99 | £108.00 | £337.99 | £553.99 | £769.99 | £1,309.99 | 70% |
| Yale Sync alarm kit, Secure Pro plan | Smart alarms | £229.99 | £432.00 | £661.99 | £1,525.99 | £2,389.99 | £4,549.99 | 90% |
| Ring Alarm Pack S (2nd Gen), free app | Smart alarms | £219.99 | £0.00 | £219.99 | £219.99 | £219.99 | £219.99 | 0% |
| Ring Alarm Pack S (2nd Gen), Guard Response | Smart alarms | £219.99 | £299.99 | £519.98 | £1,119.96 | £1,719.94 | £3,219.89 | 87% |
| SimpliSafe The Starter, Self Monitoring | Smart alarms | £256.45 | £153.30 | £409.75 | £716.35 | £1,022.95 | £1,789.45 | 75% |
| SimpliSafe The Starter, Pro Standard | Smart alarms | £256.45 | £240.90 | £497.35 | £979.15 | £1,460.95 | £2,665.45 | 82% |
| SimpliSafe The Starter, Pro Premium | Smart alarms | £256.45 | £361.35 | £617.80 | £1,340.50 | £2,063.20 | £3,869.95 | 88% |
| Philips 600 Series | Air purifiers | £119.00 | £24.99 | £143.99 | £193.97 | £243.95 | £368.90 | 51% |
| Blueair Blue Pure 511 | Air purifiers | £72.99 | £50.00 | £122.99 | £222.99 | £322.99 | £572.99 | 77% |
| Philips 900 Series | Air purifiers | not counted | £39.99 | £39.99 | £119.97 | £199.95 | £399.90 | – |
| Winix 5500-2 | Air purifiers | not counted | £53.37 | £53.37 | £160.11 | £266.85 | £533.70 | – |
| Philips 3200 Series | Air purifiers | not counted | £69.99 | £69.99 | £209.97 | £349.95 | £699.90 | – |
| Yanaboo compatible, 8 pack | Toothbrush heads | not counted | £3.38 | £3.38 | £10.14 | £16.90 | £33.80 | – |
| Oral-B Pro CrossAction, 10 pack | Toothbrush heads | not counted | £8.10 | £8.10 | £24.30 | £40.50 | £81.00 | – |
| Oral-B Pro CrossAction, 4 pack | Toothbrush heads | not counted | £9.20 | £9.20 | £27.60 | £46.00 | £92.00 | – |
| Oral-B iO Ultimate Clean, 8 pack | Toothbrush heads | not counted | £17.00 | £17.00 | £51.00 | £85.00 | £170.00 | – |
| Philips Sonicare C1 ProResults, 4 pack | Toothbrush heads | not counted | £19.99 | £19.99 | £59.97 | £99.95 | £199.90 | – |
| SURI recyclable, 3 pack | Toothbrush heads | not counted | £21.32 | £21.32 | £63.96 | £106.60 | £213.20 | – |
| eufy X10 Pro Omni | Robot vacuum parts | £599.00 | £69.98 | £668.98 | £808.94 | £948.90 | £1,298.80 | 37% |
| Dreame X40 Ultra / L40 Ultra | Robot vacuum parts | not counted | £149.98 | £149.98 | £449.94 | £749.90 | £1,499.80 | – |
| iRobot Roomba i series | Robot vacuum parts | not counted | £99.98 | £99.98 | £299.94 | £499.90 | £999.80 | – |
p Printers: running cost at 600 black pages a year before any starter ink in the box; the totals count the starter ink, so early years cost less. The 10-year column assumes the product lasts ten years and its consumables or plan stay on sale at today’s price. Nothing in this index measures either, so treat ten years as a ceiling on what a product could cost to keep, not a forecast. Rows with no purchase price count running costs only, so their after-checkout share is not shown.
Download the data
Download the dataset (CSV, 34 rows)
The file holds every input and every calculated figure on this page, with the source page and the date each figure was read. It is free to reuse with a credit link to this page. Prices in the file are as read on the dates given; they will have moved since.
- purchase_price_gbp
- Price to buy as read. Blank where the source page gives no exact price (see purchase_price_status).
- what_keeps_costing
- The consumable, part or plan counted, in the source page’s words.
- running_cost_basis
- How the yearly running cost was set: plan price, maker’s replacement interval, or printer pages at the maker’s cartridge price and yield.
- running_cost_per_year_gbp
- One year’s running cost. For printers, 600 black pages before starter ink.
- cost_per_page_gbp, starter_pages_in_box
- Printers only: cartridge or bottle price divided by maker page yield, and the starter ink the maker states.
- electricity_kwh_year, expected_lifespan_years
- Left blank on purpose. Electricity is not counted in this edition, and Look Into has not measured lifespans. The status columns say so.
- total_1yr_gbp to total_10yr_gbp
- Purchase price plus running cost for that many years, prices held flat. The 10-year total assumes the product lasts and consumables stay on sale.
- after_checkout_share_5yr_pct
- Share of the five-year total paid after the day of purchase. Blank where no purchase price is counted.
- source_page, source_title, date_read
- The Look Into page each figure was taken from, and when it was read.
How the index is worked out
Listing price The price to buy, as read on Amazon UK or the maker's UK store on the date given for each category.
Maker's interval How often the filter, head, kit or cartridge needs replacing, taken from the maker. Where a maker says "up to" 12 months, a year is the longest it should last, so the cost shown is a minimum.
Calculated estimate Everything else is arithmetic on those two: purchase price plus running cost for each year, with no price changes, no inflation and no discounts.
- Printers: purchase price plus black pages at the cost per page of the maker's black cartridge or bottle (price divided by the maker's page yield). Starter ink or toner in the box is counted only where the maker states it: about 300 pages for the HP laser, 700 for the Brother, 4,500 and 8,500 for the two EcoTanks. Colour is not counted. Each printer's 1,800-page figure reproduces the one on the printers guide to the penny.
- Doorbells and alarms: purchase price plus the plan, paid annually where an annual price exists. Monthly-only plans count 12 months a year; SimpliSafe's daily price counts 365 days. Every 36-month total matches the Subscription Tax Index to the penny.
- Air purifiers: the genuine filter at the maker's interval, averaged per year. In month-by-month terms filters are bought in steps, which is how finding 3 is worked.
- Toothbrush heads: four heads a year, the three-month cycle the guide uses.
- Robot vacuum parts: the maker's parts kit at the shortest end of its stated life (every six months for eufy and Dreame; six kits over 36 months for iRobot to keep its two-month filter schedule), as on the Subscription Tax Index. iRobot's dust bags are not counted.
What this index could not check
- Electricity is left out. Where our guides give a figure it is small for these products: about £2 to £5 a year for the printers at the October 2026 price cap. Use the own-product row to add it.
- Three air purifiers and two robot vacuums have no exact purchase price on their source page, so only their running costs are counted.
- Water filter jugs are not in this edition. Cartridges have a time limit as well as a litre rating, and the cost per year depends on which runs out first; that needs its own method.
- Nothing here measures how long a product lasts, whether a part stays on sale, or resale value. A five-year figure assumes the product and its consumables are still working and still sold.
- Prices move. Each category gives the date its figures were read; check the current price before you buy.
This index follows Look Into's investigation standards: dated samples, labelled evidence, full working and a right of reply for any company named.
Sources
- Best printers UK: printer prices, cartridge prices and page yields, read 15 September 2026.
- The Subscription Tax Index: doorbell, alarm and robot vacuum prices, plans and parts, read 15 September 2026 from makers' UK stores.
- Best air purifiers UK: purifier and filter prices, read 13 October 2026; filter intervals, read 10 September 2026.
- Best electric toothbrush heads UK: pack prices, read 28 October 2026.
Related research and tools
- Repair or replace calculator: keep an old washing machine, tumble dryer, fridge freezer or dishwasher, or buy new? Five and ten-year costs with your own figures.
- The Subscription Tax Index: smart home plans over 36 months.
- Smart home ownership costs: Ring, Nest, Arlo, eufy, Yale and SimpliSafe over five years, and what each does without a plan.
- UK Running Cost Index: what appliances cost per hour at the price cap.
- UK Always-On Load Index: what devices cost while idle.
- Home Battery Usable Capacity Audit.
Change log
- 1 November 2026: first edition published. 34 products in 6 categories. Next review when the January 2027 price cap is announced, or sooner if a source page is re-checked.
- 1 November 2026, later the same day: added a sortable table of all 34 products with a ten-year column, figure labels (listing price, maker’s interval or plan price, calculated estimate), category jump links, and the full dataset as a CSV download. No figures changed.
Cite this index
Free to cite with a link. Suggested: Look Into, "The Product Ownership Cost Index", first edition, 1 November 2026, https://lookinto.co.uk/home-and-garden/product-ownership-cost-index/
This page carries no affiliate links and earns Look Into nothing. Look Into's buying guides, linked above as sources, do carry affiliate links.