Published on
Renting or buying your office water dispenser in Switzerland? The real maths
If you have ever requested quotes for an office water dispenser in Switzerland, you will have noticed a constant: almost everyone offers long-term rental, usually 36 to 60 months. Rarely a purchase price. That is no accident, and it deserves some real maths.
What rental does well
Let’s be fair: the rental model has qualities. It turns an investment into a smoothed operating expense (opex) that is easy to budget. It generally includes maintenance and repairs. And it avoids tying up cash at the start. For an organisation that moves often, is testing a need, or refuses any fixed assets, it is a defensible choice.
What rental really costs
The downside appears in the total. Add up 48 or 60 monthly payments and the sum frequently exceeds, sometimes by a wide margin, the purchase price of the same equipment, maintenance included. Add the commitment: terminating early is expensive, and tacit renewal extends contracts nobody rereads. And in the end, the equipment is never yours: after five years of payments, you hand the dispenser back, or sign for five more.
Purchase with a maintenance contract: the alternative
The other route is simple: you buy your dispenser once and take out a clear annual maintenance contract, preventive visits, genuine cartridges, circuit sanitisation, priority breakdown service. You know your annual cost, it is under control, and the equipment belongs to you. As soon as usage is stable, lasting premises, a regular team, the maths tips clearly this way within a few years.
The 4-question decision grid
- How long will you occupy your premises? Under 2 years: rental keeps the flexibility advantage. Beyond that: the purchase pays for itself.
- How many regular users? Sustained, predictable usage justifies properly sized, purchased equipment; uncertain usage argues for flexibility.
- Opex or capex: which is your constraint? Some organisations prefer a monthly charge; others have the cash and refuse perpetual rents.
- Do you want to own your equipment? It is also a matter of principle: controlling your equipment, your costs and your maintenance calendar.
Where EGBT SA stands
At EGBT SA, your dispenser can be yours, it is even our recommendation when usage is stable. Our quotes price both options in black and white, in CHF, with no hidden lines: purchase price, annual maintenance contract, and an honest comparison with a rental scenario. You decide with the figures in front of you, and whichever you choose, installation and after-sales service remain in the hands of our technicians, in Geneva and the canton of Vaud.
Frequently asked questions
Why do most suppliers only offer rental?
Because long-term rental generates recurring revenue and locks in customers by contract. It is a legitimate model, but it does not fit every situation, hence the value of a quote that also prices the purchase.
What happens if my purchased dispenser breaks down?
With the EGBT SA maintenance contract, your dispenser is looked after like a rented one: preventive visits, genuine cartridges, priority call-outs and local after-sales service in Geneva and Vaud.
Can I switch from renting to buying?
When a rental contract with another supplier expires, yes, it is even the ideal moment to compare the remaining cumulative cost with a purchase backed by a maintenance contract.