Wondering what the ULEZ charge is and how much it costs? Well, the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is an initiative that was set up since 2019 to reduce air pollution in London. To achieve this, a daily charge was introduced for vehicles that fail to meet the ULEZ emissions standards. How much is the ULEZ charge? Let’s find out!
Key Takeaways
- The daily ULEZ charge is £12.50 per day, and it runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year, including weekends and holidays except Christmas Day (25th December).
- Failure to pay the ULEZ fee can result in a £180 penalty.
You can find out if your car is ULEZ compliant with a simple reg check.
Ultra Low Emission Zone: What is ULEZ?
The Ultra Low Emission Zone is a zone that operates across all London boroughs and basically restricts older vehicles with more emissions from entering. With these vehicles restricted, the air is cleaner and emissions have been reduced significantly over the years.
When a vehicle is non-compliant with the ULEZ standards, they have to pay a fee. In short, if your car isn’t clean enough, you’ll need to pay to drive within the zone.
How do you know if your vehicle is non-compliant with the ULEZ standards? We will discuss this in the sections below.
What vehicles are affected?
Non-compliant vehicles are affected! To meet the ULEZ standards in Greater London and other clean air zones around the UK, your car needs to use an engine that releases emissions within the accepted range.
Diesel vehicles need to meet the Euro 6 emissions standards to be compliant and avoid London’s ULEZ charge and petrol vehicles need to achieve at least the Euro 4 grade. If a vehicle falls within these 2 categories, they are compliant and there’s nothing to worry about. However, non-compliant ones will have to pay the daily charge to drive within.
For motorcycles, mopeds, tricycles, etc, they have to meet the Euro 3 emission standards. In general, if they are registered after July 2007, they can be considered Euro 3 engines and are compliant.
“DID YOU KNOW
There are roughly 2,800 cameras within the ULEZ zone in London boroughs and the City of London. These cameras work with ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) and record the registration of every car that passes by them.”
How Much is the ULEZ Charge?
So, you have a non-compliant vehicle? It’s best to save up to get one, or even better, apply for the London ULEZ Scrappage Scheme to get financial support to scrap, donate, or retrofit polluting vehicles.
If you don’t want to consider that option, then you will need to pay the charge. How much is the ULEZ charge? £12.50. This is the daily fee for non-compliant vehicles. This means if you’re in London for a week, you would need to pay £12.50 x 7 = £87.5.
The ULEZ operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year, including holidays, except on Christmas (December 25). This rate is the same for all vehicle types including cars, motorcycles, vans and specialist vehicles (up to and including 3.5 tonnes) and minibuses (up to and including 5 tonnes). However, there are a few exceptions when it comes to vehicle type.
Lorries, vans, or specialist heavy vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes, and buses, minibuses, or coaches with weight over 5 tonnes are not required to pay the ULEZ charge. Instead, they need to pay the LEZ charge if the vehicles do not meet the LEZ standards.
There are also some vehicles who are exempt from paying the ULEZ charge and some that qualify for discounts including:
- Vehicles for disabled people
- NHS patient reimbursement
- London-licensed taxis
- Minibuses for community transport, and more.
We have a very detailed explanation of ULEZ exemptions and discounts here London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) | Find Out The Answer Here
How to Check ULEZ Charges
Most people wonder if their vehicles are compliant or not and it’s for good reason. You don’t want to end up unknowingly having to pay ULEZ charges. So, how can you check? A reg check tool!
Our easy-to-use and instant reg check tool can check the registration number of any vehicle to determine if your car is compliant or not. Simply enter the reg number to find out.
Why do I need to know about ULEZ Standards?
Are you driving to London? Do you own a vehicle that might not meet ULEZ emissions standards? This could be an older car, van, motorbike, or even a larger commercial vehicle. If your answer are yes, then you definitely need to know about ULEZ.
Here are some reasons why knowing about ULEZ is beneficial to you:
- Save Money: If your vehicle doesn’t meet ULEZ standards, you’ll be charged a daily fee to enter the zone. The scrappage scheme can help you avoid these charges by offering financial assistance to upgrade to a cleaner vehicle.
- Breathe Easier: ULEZ aims to reduce air pollution, benefitting everyone’s health. By knowing about ULEZ, you can be part of the solution and contribute to cleaner air in London.
- Plan Your Trip: If you’re driving in London, knowing about ULEZ and the recent ULEZ expansions helps you plan your route and avoid the zone if necessary. Public transport options like buses and the Underground (Tube) are generally exempt from the ULEZ fee.
Paying The ULEZ Charge with TfL
If you need to pay the ULEZ charge, make sure to pay by midnight on the third day following the journey or you could even pay up to 90 days in advance. Here are the acceptable methods of payment:
Auto Pay
With Auto Pay, you don’t need to remember to pay or make the payment yourself. You will be charged automatically every month for any ULEZ, LEZ, and congestion charges you may owe. Asides these payments, every other service is free. You will not pay registration or even renewal fees.
Online Payment Portal
There’s also the Transport for London (TfL) online payment portal. Through this portal on their website, you can make the payment to drive in London.
TfL Pay to Drive in London app
The free Pay to Drive in London app is another method you can use to pay the ULEZ, LEZ, and congestion charge. This app can:
- Set up Auto Pay
- Pay a penalty
- Check for charging zones
- Save vehicle data
- Add and remove vehicles
- View payment card details
- Check payment history, and more.
London Road User Charging account
You can also set up a London Road user charging account and register up to 5 vehicles, make faster payments, and allow up to 5 people access to your account.
Phone
Payment by phone is the last available payment method. You can contact 0343 222 2222 (TfL call charges apply), +44 343 222 2222 (International), or 020 7649 9123 for a textphone (if you have impaired hearing). Note that these lines are open from Monday to Friday, 08:00 – 20:00.
If you are driving into charging zones with a non-compliant vehicle, remember that you need to pay a £12.50 daily charge on time or you will receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of £180, or £90 if paid within 14 days, and you don’t want that.
READ ALSO: How Much Does It Cost To Charge An Electric Car? | Here’s How It’s Calculated
How to Avoid ULEZ Charges
Here are some tips to remember to avoid ULEZ charges:
- Avoid the ULEZ areas completely. You cannot be charged if you don’t drive through, so try to avoid the zone as much as you can. Google Maps and other navigational apps can help you avoid chargeable zones.
- If you must drive, park on the outskirts of London and use public transport or train and tube travel. You can save yourself these charges by parking outside and using public transport.
- Ever thought of cycling? You can use cycleways in and around Central London and avoid charges.
- Drive a compliant vehicle. If you cannot afford one, you can consider the London ULEZ Scrappage Scheme to get financial support.
- Get a registration number check for compliance. Smart Car Check provides an instant check tool for specifications and vehicle history that can help you verify if your vehicle is ULEZ compliant or not.
How much is the daily charge to drive? £12.50 and it only applies to vehicles that don’t meet certain emissions standards within the Ultra Low Emission Zone in London. Plan your route carefully, check your vehicle ULEZ status, and you’ll have nothing to worry about.
