Zone to expand to cover all London boroughs from 2023
- What is a ULEZ?
- How much is the London ULEZ charge?
- Why was the ULEZ introduced?
- Is my car exempt from ULEZ?
- Do any other types of vehicle escape the ULEZ charge?
- Can I make my car ULEZ compliant?
- ULEZ checker
- How big is the London ULEZ?
- Is the ULEZ expanding in 2023?
- On what days and between what hours does ULEZ operate?
- What’s the penalty for not paying the ULEZ charge?
- Is the congestion charge expanding?
In 2019, London became the first city in the world to establish a dedicated Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) for vehicles.
In October 2021, significant changes to the system were introduced including a large expansion of the zone and an end to residents’ exemptions.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has now confirmed a further expansion of the ULEZ to cover the whole of Greater London from August 2023.
What is a ULEZ?
A ULEZ is an “ultra-low emission zone”. Drivers entering the area are charged for doing so if their vehicle does not meet certain emissions standards.
How much is the London ULEZ charge?
Drivers pay a £12.50 charge (or £100 for lorries, buses and coaches) per day for entering the London ULEZ if their vehicle doesn’t meet the emissions standards. That’s on top of the £15 Congestion Charge for the very centre of London, which currently applies to most cars, so many motorists could have to pay £27.50 per day passing through that zone.
When the ULEZ came into force on April 8, 2019, it was estimated by the London Assembly that up to 60,000 vehicles per day would face the charge. The expanded zone from August 2023 will mean that 160,000 cars will be affected initially, though they London Mayor expects that to drop to 46,000 as owners switch to less polluting cars.
Why was the ULEZ introduced?
The ULEZ is designed to encourage people to drive less-polluting cars or use other methods of transport, such as walking, cycling or taking public transport. This was expected to substantially improve the air quality in the area.
A report four months after its introduction found that around 13,500 fewer polluting cars were being driven into central London every day, compared with six months earlier. This equated to a decrease of around 36% in levels of roadside nitrogen oxides, which are harmful to health.
Air pollution causes seven million deaths a year worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the Royal College of Physicians concluded that traffic fumes are contributing to the early deaths of an estimated 40,000 people in the UK.
In December 2020, a coroner ruled that air pollution made a “material contribution” to the death of nine-year old Ella Kissi-Debrah — it was a landmark ruling that for the first time listed air pollution as a cause of death.
A report by Imperial College London commissioned by the mayor’s office found that in 2019 the equivalent of between 3,600 and 4,100 deaths in Greater London were estimated as being attributable to air pollution, and that the adoption of more stringent measures such as an expanded ULEZ would increase the life-expectancy of a child born in 2013 by around six months.
Expanding the ULEZ London-wide will bring cleaner air to five million more Londoners, according to the mayor. It’s also estimated that the expansion will result in a reduction of NOx emissions from cars in outer London of nearly 10%, as well as a nearly 16% reduction in PM2.5 particulate emissions, leading to a 1.5% overall reduction in PM2.5 emissions London-wide.
Is my car exempt from ULEZ?
Drivers of older, more polluting petrol and diesel cars are affected.
Drivers of petrol cars with engines that are compliant with Euro 4 emissions regulations, which were introduced in 2006, will escape the ULEZ charge.
However, drivers of diesel-powered cars will only be exempt if the engine complies with the Euro 6 vehicle emission rules, which came into force in September 2015; if your diesel car is older than that, it’s possible it will be subject to the ULEZ charge.
However, some cars complied with these emissions standards prior to the rules being enforced, which means some older cars may still escape the charge.
Do any other types of vehicle escape the ULEZ charge?
Though Transport for London “would prefer you use a vehicle that meets the new emissions standards” as outlined above, some older, more polluting cars are also exempt from the ULEZ charges under very specific circumstances.
Drivers of cars more than 40 years old can apply for an exemption from the ULEZ. It’s a rolling exemption, so in 2022 vehicles built before 1982 are eligible to apply for historic vehicle tax class.
This does not apply to commercial use vehicles such as food trucks. All vehicles built prior to January 1, 1973 (including food trucks and other commercials) can, however, receive an exemption.
Other exemptions are also made for types of vehicle used for specialist purposes such as agriculture or the military.
No taxis registered for use in London will be hit by the ULEZ penalty. In order to be licensed as a London taxi, the vehicle can’t be more than 15 years old, and all new licensed cabs “must be capable of producing zero emissions”. A new plug-in black cab went on sale in 2017— read our LEVC TX review here.
Prior to October 25, 2021, ULEZ residents did not have to pay to drive non-ULEZ-compliant vehicles within the zone, though they now must pay a full fee to do so. This does not apply if the vehicle remains parked for the day.
“Designated wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicles” will also be exempt from the ULEZ penalties until October 26, 2025.
With the expansion of the zone, disabled Londoners and community transport providers will be granted extended existing ULEZ grace periods (temporary exemptions), with new grace periods be introduced on January 30, 2023.
Can I make my car ULEZ compliant?
It may be possible to retrofit your non-compliant car or van to meet the requirements, either by changing the engine or upgrading the exhaust, but the cost of doing so and then re-certifying your car so that it is recognised as compliant by the DVSA is unlikely to make it worthwhile.
The best options if you need to travel into the ULEZ are to go by other means (cycling, public transport, taxi, etc.) or sell the car and buy one that is compliant (you don’t have to buy new, remember — you just need to buy a car that meets the emissions standards).
It may be possible to part exchange your old car or scrap it via a dealer, and with the expansion of the zone the London Mayor also announced a £110 million scrappage scheme, which he said will help Londoners “on lower incomes, disabled Londoners, micro businesses and charities to scrap or retrofit their non-compliant vehicles in exchange for a grant or free annual bus and tram passes.”
ULEZ checker
The best way to check whether or not your vehicle is exempt from the ULEZ charge is to enter its registration number (number plate) into the ULEZ vehicle checker at the Transport for London website.
How big is the London ULEZ?
In October 2021, the ULEZ expanded to cover all areas within the North and South Circular roads. Previously, the ULEZ had covered the same area as the London Congestion Charge. However, the ULEZ is to be expanded again from August 2023.
Is the ULEZ expanding in 2023?
Yes. In November 2022, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan confirmed that the ULEZ be expanded from August 29, 2023, saying that “around 4,000 Londoners die prematurely each year because of long-term exposure to air pollution, with the greatest number of deaths in outer London boroughs,” adding, “That’s why this expansion is so important—we need to clean the air for everyone.”
The new ULEZ area will match the current Low Emission Zone, stretching as far as the M25 in places.
Residents just outside the zone may find that regular journeys will involve travelling into the expanded Areas such as Bromley, Croydon, Dagenham, Romford, Enfield, Twickenham and Kingston upon Thames will all fall within the proposed expanded ULEZ from 2023.
Popular attractions such as Hampton Court Palace and Chessington World of Adventures will also sit inside the expanded zone, meaning that visitors arriving by car could be liable for the ULEZ fee.
Travelling into the expanded ULEZ with a vehicle that doesn’t meet the standards would mean incurring the £12.50 daily charge, including for residents.
On what days and between what hours does ULEZ operate?
Unlike the Congestion Charge, which is in force between 7am and 10pm, seven days a week, the ULEZ operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The only exception for both the CC and ULEZ is Christmas Day.
This £12.50 fee daily rate resets at midnight, so if you enter at 11.59pm and exit two minutes later, you’ll be charged for two days (£25).
What’s the penalty for not paying the ULEZ charge?
If your car isn’t exempt and you don’t pay your ultra-low emissions zone charge on time, you will be subject to a £160 penalty. This will be halved to £80 if you pay for the fine within 14 days.
Is the congestion charge expanding?
There was speculation in October 2020 that the congestion charge, which currently covers an area in central London, would be hugely expanded in order to recover money that Transport for London lost during the coronavirus pandemic.
Government Ministers, including Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, had proposed expanding the £15 per day charge to the North and South Circular roads, which would have affected around four million Londoners.
However, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said that he had “succeeded in killing off” the proposal. As part of the agreement made with central government, though, London will need to raise extra money in future years, meaning that the temporary changes that were made to the congestion charge in June 2021 (raising the price to £15 per day and expanding hours to 10pm) are likely to be made permanent.
- If you found our guide to the London ULEZ helpful, read about how sales of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned from 2030
- Fortunately, classic and vintage cars won’t be affected by the ban — these are the top classic cars to invest in this year
- Still not sure if your car is ULEZ compliant? Use the official ULEZ Checker to find out
Keyword: ULEZ checker: Is your car exempt from the Ultra Low Emission Zone?