Our guide to the Ultra Low Emission Zone
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has recently extended its reach to encompass all London Boroughs, excluding the M25. Within this designated area, drivers of older vehicles face a daily charge, a measure implemented to curb the high air pollution stemming from older cars in densely populated and high-traffic regions.
On the 29th of August 2023, ULEZ underwent a significant expansion, now covering all London Boroughs. The London-wide ULEZ First Month Report highlights promising outcomes, demonstrating a notable reduction in the presence of older and more polluting vehicles across the city. Schemes like The Electric Car Scheme are designed to get more people driving sustainably whilst driving down their CO2 emissions. Electric car salary sacrifice saves 30-60% on the cost of any electric car by paying from your salary before tax. This makes it the most affordable way of getting into an electric vehicle and at The Electric Car Scheme, we have expanded our offering to used electric cars too, making it even cheaper!
In light of these changes, it is essential to understand what ULEZ entails and provide comprehensive insights into everything you need to know about this initiative. Discover the recent expansion of London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) covering all boroughs, excluding the M25. Uncover its impact on air quality, the daily charges for older vehicles, and essential details every London driver should know.
Here’s what to expect:
What is ULEZ?
The first ULEZ was introduced in April 2019, it applied to vehicles that did not fit particular parameters that were driving into or around the London Congestion Charge Zone. This covers the city and some of the central London boroughs.
It expanded for the first time in October 2021 to include all of the North and South circular roads. The London Congestion Charge Zone is now marked by Red Circles with a ‘C’ at the beginning of every road to alert you that you are entering the zone. ULEZ operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and every day of the year apart from Christmas Day.
If your vehicle doesn’t meet ULEZ emission standards and isn’t exempt you will need to pay a £12.50 daily charge to drive within the zone. Charging runs from midnight to midnight, and if you drive within the ULEZ area across two days you will need to pay for two daily charges. The combination of the ULEZ charge and the Congestion Charge could equate to up to £27.50 if you enter London on a weekday between 7 am and 10 pm. This applies to cars, motorbikes, vans and specialist vehicles (up to and including 3.5 tonnes) and minibuses (up to and including 5 tonnes). Lorries, vans and specialist heavy vehicles - over 5 tonnes - will need to pay the LEZ charge, not the ULEZ charge if they do not meet the Low Emission Zone emission standard.
What is the difference between ULEZ and congestion charges?
The Congestion Charge covers central London whereas ULEZ covers all London Boroughs. All vehicles will need to pay the Congestion Charge if visiting the Congestion Charge Zone on top of the ULEZ charge.
What is the difference between LEZ AND ULEZ?
LEZ stands for Low Emission Zone whereas ULEZ stands for Ultra-low Emission Zone. The LEZ charge is geared towards heavy goods vehicles like lorries, vans and coaches. It operates 24 hours a day and every day of the year apart from Christmas (the same as ULEZ). The ULEZ charge is aimed at petrol and diesel cars that do not meet Euro 4 (vehicles registered from 2006) and Euro 6 (vehicles registered from September 2016) vehicle standards.
Lorries, vans and specialist heavy vehicles over 3.5 tonnes Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and buses, and minibuses over 5 tonnes GVW do not need to pay the ULEZ charge but will have to pay the LEZ charge if they do not meet the LEZ emission standard. There are three LEZ charges: £100, £300 for larger vehicles and £100 for smaller ones.
Why do we need policies like ULEZ?
Poor air quality is impacting the health in cities and this is mainly caused by polluting vehicles. Londoners are developing life-changing illnesses like cancer, asthma and lung disease and recent reports have shown a link between air pollution and an increased risk of developing dementia. Air pollution also contributes to the premature death of thousands of Londoners every year.
How do I know if my car is ULEZ-compliant?
You can check whether your car is up to ULEZ standards on the Transport For London website.
Simply pop in your registration and it will tell you whether you are subject to the charge if you were to enter either the ULEZ or Congestion Charge Zone.
Different standards are required for different cars, but here are the basics:
ULEZ-compliant petrol cars
Must meet Euro 4, Euro 5 or Euro 6 emissions standards
Generally registered after January 2006
ULEZ-compliant diesel cars
Must be Euro 6 compliant
Generally registered after September 2015
ULEZ-compliant hybrid and electric cars
With a diesel engine: must meet Euro 6 standards
With petrol engine: must meet Euro 4 standards
There are exemptions to the Congestion Charges. Motorcycles and Blue Badge holders are also not required to pay for the charge. Residents in the area are also able to access a discount - however, this is currently not open to new applications.
What to do if your car isn’t ULEZ-compliant
If your vehicle isn’t compliant and you don’t want to pay the charge every time you enter an Ultra Low Emission Zone, you do have some options. The most obvious is switching to an electric car which produces no emissions and through schemes like The Electric Car Scheme, this is made more affordable for everyone. At The Electric Car Scheme, we now offer used electric cars, which means you can get a secondhand EV for £200 depending on the model you choose.
Transport for London has also introduced a scrappage scheme which works by providing grant payments to successful applicants who want to scrap or retrofit their vehicles which do not meet the emission standards. Successful applicants can also choose to donate suitable vehicles to Ukraine and still receive a grant payment.
The scrappage scheme process
The ULEZ car and motorcycle scrappage scheme is for London residents with cars, motorcycles and wheelchair-accessible vehicles that do not meet the ULEZ emission standards.
The ULEZ van and minibus scrappage scheme is for sole traders, micro-businesses, small businesses or charities with a registered address in London, with vans or minibuses that do not meet ULEZ emissions standards.
The application can be done online and you will need to upload evidence to prove your identity and eligibility. We understand that the scrappage scheme only applies to those living in London and may be frustrating for those who commute into the capital in a non-ULEZ-compliant vehicle.
What about electric cars and ULEZ?
All electric cars are exempt from ULEZ and Congestion Charges under the Cleaner Vehicle Discount until 25th December 2025. After 2025, unless in receipt of another discount or exemption, all vehicle owners (including electric vehicle owners) will need to pay a Congestion Charge zone during charging hours.
What is the Cleaner Vehicle Discount?
Electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are currently exempted from the London Congestion Charge under the Cleaner Vehicle Discount (CVD) - this means zero-emission cars are exempt from the charges until December 2025.
You need to apply for this discount online and provide specific documents to prove you are entitled to it. There is an annual cost of £10 to register a vehicle for the CVD discount, TFL will notify you when you need to renew it.
UK registered cars - proof of the V5C vehicle registration certificate issued by the DVLA
Non-UK registered cars - registration documents issued by vehicle licensing agencies that show the fuel type of ‘Battery Electric’ or ‘Hydrogen Fuel Cell’.
Where do I pay for ULEZ and Congestion charges?
You pay via the Transport For London website.
If you drive within the zone, you can pay the daily charge of £12.50 by midnight on the third day after your journey or up to 90 days in advance.
You are also able to set up Auto Pay if you are a regular driver within these zones. Auto Pay will bill you every month for any Congestion Charges or ULEZ charges you owe.
Penalty charges for ULEZ
If your car is not ULEZ-compliant and you drive within the Ultra Low Emission Zone and also do not pay the correct daily charge, you will be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). Both UK and non-UK-registered vehicles can get PCNs. The charging hours for ULEZ are from midnight to midnight, so you may get separate PCNs for each charging day that you have driven within the ULEZ.
You can view and pay a PCN online, here. Or, you can download the TFL Pay to Drive in London App and press ‘Pay Penalty.’ This is only the case for London, but the process remains the same across the rest of the country.
The table below shows the Penalty Charge Notices for different vehicles and how much the charge will be if paid within 14 days.
| Vehicle type | Weight | Penalty charge | If paid within 14 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars, vans, motorcycles, motor tricycles and mopeds | Up to and including 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight | £180 | £90 |
| Motor caravans and ambulances | 2.5-3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight | £180 | £90 |
| Minibuses (with more than 8 passenger seats) | 5 tonnes or less gross vehicle weight | £180 | £90 |
Ultra-low emission zones around the UK
As mentioned previously, Clean Air Zones are defined geographical areas where certain types of vehicles are required to comply with emissions standards or pay a fine.
There are several new Clean Air Zones in the UK to try to improve the air quality deliver improved health benefits and support economic growth. The table below gives you an idea of some places in the UK that have Clean Air Zones, the daily charge and when they are active. This table doesn’t include all Clean Air Zones in the UK.
| Cities | Daily charge | Active |
|---|---|---|
| Bath | £9 for small vehicles, £100 for large | 24/7 |
| Bristol | £9 for small vehicles, £100 for large | 24/7 |
| Edinburgh | £60 | 24/7 |
| Glasgow | £60 | 24/7 |
| Oxford | £2 for ULEZ vehicles, £4 for low emission vehicles, £10 non-compliant vehicles | 7am-7pm daily |
| Newcastle & Gateshead | £12.50 for small vehicles, £50 for large | 24/7 |
Table data is taken from Motorway.co.uk
More Clean Air Zones are in the pipeline around the UK, like Caerphilly and Manchester. In Caerphilly, there has been consideration into this with a particular focus on restricting HGVs. In Manchester, ten councils have been opposed to a CAZ charging non-compliant drivers, instead favouring investment into retrofitting the non-compliant vehicles.
There are several other schemes to tackle emissions in different cities to tackle emissions where CAZ perhaps doesn’t make sense.
Does ULEZ work?
This image was sourced from Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan’s Linkedin account.
Data released on July 25th reveals that the ULEZ expansion is surpassing initial predictions six months post-implementation. The report highlights London's air quality continuing to improve at a faster rate compared to the rest of England. Specifically, total nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from cars across London were 13% lower than projected had the scheme remained limited to inner London. Moreover, particulate pollution levels (PM2.5) from car exhausts in outer London are estimated to be 22% lower than without the expansion. This reduction is equivalent to removing 200,000 cars from the road for one year!
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said “Today’s report shows that the Ultra Low Emission Zone is working even better than expected. The expansion to outer London is already having a significant effect - driving down levels of pollution, taking old polluting cars off our roads and bringing cleaner air to millions more Londoners. We are now set to get London’s air to within legal limits by 2025, 184 years earlier than previously projected.”
How has ULEZ changed behaviours in London?
Analysis conducted by Transport & Environment UK looking into the Department for Energy Security and Net Zet Nero statistics has found that diesel fuel sales have fallen significantly in London, which is outpacing all other regions in the UK. Figures suggest sales fell by nearly 40% in London over four years compared to 20% in other regions.
This decline in diesel has had a positive impact on air pollution in the capital as diesel has previously been marked as the “largest risk to public health.” Efforts to reduce air pollution are also contributing positively to energy security. As evidenced by the recent energy crisis, the UK lacks control over the international wholesale pricing of fossil fuels, including diesel. Consequently, any disruptions in diesel supply could render the country susceptible to price surges and supply shortages.
Expanding low emissions zones across cities nationwide could bolster UK energy security. Sheffield, Liverpool, and Greater Manchester all exceed legal nitrous oxide emission limits. Implementing clean air zone initiatives in these areas would improve public health and fortify the nation's energy resilience. You can read more about the analysis here.
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The Electric Car Scheme is an employee car benefit scheme that helps employees save on making the switch to an electric car. The way salary sacrifice works is that your employer will lease the car on your behalf and in return, you agree to pay through the gross pay (before tax) of your salary. The government's tax incentives for electric cars promote sustainable choices. But they are complex and difficult to access. The Electric Car Scheme makes it simple to access the government tax incentives for our net zero transition.
Last updated: 26/07/2024
