Utility Rentals: why we’re not like traditional leasing companies

We all know that budgets in the education sector are tighter than ever, as the cost of living crisis continues to affect school spending. Many educational settings simply don’t have enough capital to keep classrooms and premises up to date. That means they are faced with the choice between costly improvements and persevering with outdated or unsuitable equipment.

Choosing to upgrade equipment or facilities may mean making cuts elsewhere – perhaps to school trips, or teaching assistants. And if a school does manage to find the funds for a playground canopy or a set of iPads, you can bet that new laser cutter or coding robot will have to wait. 

In an attempt to spend less, schools may compromise on quality or settle for staged upgrades, kitting out some classrooms and not others, leaving some students disadvantaged. And, of course, there’s still the cost of maintaining all those older, inefficient or failing products, now probably out of warranty. 

Did you know, for example, that lighting can account for more than half of a school’s electricity outlay? But without the capital budget to upgrade to cost-effective LED lighting, those energy costs will just keep increasing.

Helping schools make their money go further

Do you supply equipment that cuts costs directly, like energy-efficient cookers or solar panels? Maybe you offer high-quality IT or DT equipment to enrich the curriculum, or outdoor structures to add value beyond the classroom. 

Whatever your products, you will be well aware of the difficulties schools often have in acquiring them. Even leasing – often a cheaper option than maintaining outdated equipment – can be challenging in the highly regulated education sector. 

What if you could help schools to make their money go further? Get more of them to say yes to the equipment they need? (And maybe some of the equipment they want, too!) What if you could also take away the additional worry of unpredictable costs such as maintenance and training? Perhaps increase your deal size as a result? 

With Utility Rentals, you can – and it’s so easy! Work with us and discover the magic of our compliant operating leases.

Our operating leases make the difference

We offer a refreshing approach to leasing, and we’re proud to be different. We often disrupt traditional partnerships and frameworks, with simpler, more cost-effective solutions. 

There is no minimum deal size, and we are happy to look at assets that other suppliers may shy away from. We can fund a range of projects, including all assets and their associated costs such as install and maintenance, resulting in a transparent, affordable proposal that your customer is far more likely to say yes to. 

There is no need to worry about the sector’s stringent compliance requirements, as we only offer fully compliant operating leases, which even state-funded schools can enter into without prior approval.

As market leaders of compliant funding to the education sector, Utility Rentals offers extremely competitive, market-leading rates across all deal sizes. We are self-financed, with no third party involvement, meaning we have complete control over our rates and there are no expensive broker fees to pay. 

For your customers, that means a much wider choice of equipment, including top brands that might not otherwise have been affordable.

We are easy to work with…

… As easy as 1, 2, 3!  

1. We’re fast. No one likes delays, and our suppliers benefit from our quick turnaround times at every stage of the process. Because all schools, academies, colleges and universities are automatically eligible for our leases, there is no lengthy application process.  Quotes for state schools and academies are instantly approved and all paperwork is electronic.  
2. We’re clear. Our paperwork is simple and our terms are transparent. Forget lengthy agreements and jargon – our leases are only two pages long, with a single page of terms, and it’s all designed specifically for the education sector. It can be signed electronically via our e-signature software, meaning no waiting around before you can order the equipment and get your project moving.
3. We’re great at teamwork! We offer a dedicated sales support service that is tailored to your business and customer needs. Acting as an extension of your sales team, we can support you on calls or in Microsoft Teams meetings at sign-off stage, to liaise directly with school finance teams and answer any queries about the lease. 

We really do add value

In rough terms, leasing high-value equipment is three times as affordable as purchasing it outright. Take, for example, a school with nine classrooms. To equip all nine rooms with a new interactive display screen, the school could choose to purchase three screens a year for three years. But the cost to buy one screen can be similar to funding three. So, working with us, the school could lease all nine screens at the same time. The table below shows at a glance how an operating lease from Utility Rentals really does add value.

How the numbers stack up – an example

And because we continue to look after the appliances for the life cycle of the rental, the school could choose to include installation and a full parts and labour breakdown warranty in the lease agreement for their interactive screens too.

Although we have used a school in this example, don’t forget that Utility Rentals works with the whole education sector (both state-funded and independent), offering any size deal to any size establishment – from nurseries and free schools to multi-academy trusts, colleges and universities.

We are proud of the Utility Rentals difference, and we would love the chance to talk to you about it.

For more opportunities to get your equipment into schools, contact our expert team today.