Hiring a 20-foot refrigerated container on a long-term contract starts at around £12 a day ex VAT in the UK, while a used one costs roughly £4,500 to £7,500 ex VAT. Stated baldly, ownership looks obvious. The honest answer is more nuanced: hire rates taper with duration, buying carries costs beyond the sticker price, and the two routes divide maintenance differently. Whether to hire or buy comes down to how long you need the unit and how much capital you want to keep free. For genuinely continuous use, the break-even sits at around 18 to 24 months — here is where that line falls, and where it breaks down.
Hire versus buy at a glance
The figures below are indicative, observed on the UK market in 2026 for a 20-foot reefer (~28 m³), and quoted ex VAT (VAT is 20%). For a fuller breakdown by size and temperature, see our prices page.
| Item | Hire (long-term, 20-foot) | Buy used (20-foot) |
|---|---|---|
| Base cost | From around £12 a day ex VAT, tapering with the term | £4,500 – £7,500 ex VAT, by class and condition |
| Maintenance | Normally covered by the supplier | Yours (servicing, PTI test) |
| Electricity | 70 – 170 kWh a day by size, on your own meter | The same |
| Capital tied up | None | Yes, but with resale value |
| Minimum term | Around 90 days is common | Not applicable |
Two further markers: a new “one-trip” 20-foot unit is observed at £18,995 to £22,500 ex VAT, and short-term hire — where a supplier offers it — is priced higher per day than long-term hire, the normal tapering structure. Both routes share the same power supply: three-phase on a CEE 32 A socket, or a generator of 5 to 12 kW.
The break-even: 18 to 24 months
Long-term hire rates fall as the commitment lengthens, starting from around £12 a day ex VAT at the floor. Set against a used purchase, the lines cross within a familiar window: at that floor rate, a year and a half to two years of continuous hire reaches the used-price band of £4,500 to £7,500 ex VAT. Beyond that point, the sums paid in hire would have bought the box outright.
Past 24 months of continuous use, buying wins in every scenario: each further month of hire is pure cost, while the purchased unit is paid off and still holds value. A used reefer typically has 10 to 15 years of service life left, which widens the gap over four or five years. The threshold holds reasonably well across sizes, because a larger container costs more both to hire and to buy — the ratio stays broadly the same. Electricity is identical either way and does not move the calculation.
When hire still wins
The break-even assumes continuous use. Many needs are not, and then hire is the clear answer:
- Seasonal demand — a harvest peak, the game season or the Christmas rush. You pay only for the weeks you actually use the unit.
- Events — festivals, markets, catering at peak. Hire avoids storing and servicing a box that sits idle most of the year.
- Tight cash flow — no capital tied up, and payments that are typically deductible for a business.
- Maintenance included — depending on the contract, the supplier services or replaces the refrigeration unit if it fails. When you own, a major repair falls to you.
- Changing volumes — if your need might move between 4-5 pallets (10-foot) and 23 pallets (40-foot high cube, ~67 m³), hire lets you switch size without reselling.
One UK caveat: minimum hire periods of around 90 days are common, so check this before assuming hire is the cheaper route for a two-week job.
When buying makes sense
If the need is permanent — a laboratory, an overflow store, a food-processing buffer — buying is rational from a two-year horizon. The used market is the cheapest way in: units for sale run £4,500 to £7,500 ex VAT in class A or B, against £18,995 to £22,500 ex VAT for a new one-trip unit. Check three things before you sign: a recent PTI (the norm is under three months), the make and parts availability of the refrigeration unit (Carrier, Thermo King, Daikin and Star Cool are the common names), and the real temperature range — the standard covers -25 °C to +25 °C, while super-freezer units at -60/-70 °C are rare and markedly dearer.
A middle path: leasing
Between the two, a lease or lease-purchase spreads the cost of a new or recent unit over 24 to 60 months, usually with an option to own at the end. Capital stays free and payments are typically deductible; the total costs more than paying cash, but usually less than hiring for the same span.
Which profile are you?
| Usage profile | Recommended route |
|---|---|
| Seasonal (a few months a year) | Short-term hire |
| One-off peak or events | Short-term hire |
| Continuous use, uncertain or under 18 months | Long-term hire |
| Continuous use of 2 years or more, capital available | Buy used (class A/B, recent PTI) |
| Intensive, long-lasting, top condition wanted | Buy new “one-trip” |
| Lasting need, capital to preserve | Lease |
Whatever the scenario, prices vary enough between suppliers to justify comparing: at the same size and class, the ranges stay wide. Our other comparisons cover the size, temperature and condition choices; and if your need is already clear, request a quote — we pass your request to specialist suppliers, who contact you directly if they can meet your need.
Frequently asked questions
When does buying a refrigerated container beat hiring?
Around 18 to 24 months of continuous use is the usual tipping point. Below that, hire keeps your cash free and shifts maintenance to the supplier. Above it, the accumulated day rate starts to exceed the price of a used unit, and ownership begins to pay for itself — provided you also budget for electricity, routine servicing and eventual resale of the box.
What is the minimum hire period for a refrigerated container in the UK?
Minimums of around 90 days are common with UK suppliers, because delivering and collecting a unit costs much the same whether it stays a week or a year. The minimum is not universal — some suppliers do offer genuine short-term hire, usually at a higher day rate. If your need is only a few weeks, confirm the minimum term before you compare quotes.
What used reefer container price should I expect?
A used refrigerated container typically runs £4,500 to £7,500 ex VAT depending on size, class and the condition of the cooling unit, with 10 to 15 years of service life remaining on a sound example. A new one-trip unit sits far higher, around £18,995 to £22,500 ex VAT. These are indicative UK market ranges, not fixed quotes.
Does hiring include maintenance?
Often, yes — on long-term hire the supplier usually keeps the refrigeration unit serviced, which removes an unpredictable cost from your budget. When you buy, that job is yours: routine servicing of the group and the PTI (Pre-Trip Inspection) test, plus electricity, which runs from roughly 70 to 170 kWh a day depending on container size. Factor both into any ownership comparison.