The congestion charge is the daily charge for qualifying vehicles being used in Central London between 7am and 6pm which is imposed by Transport for London (TfL). For details on where and when the congestion zone is see the TfL website: www.tfl.gov.uk
Here are a few tips to help you beat the congestion charge...
Buy a ‘Greener Car’ If you drive in the congestion charge zone at the specified times every day, then there is a substantial amount of savings to be made if you opt to buy a “charge free” vehicle. As it stands the congestion charge is £10 a day, if you work Monday – Friday and travel in the specified times then that’s a saving of around £2600 a year!
Any car which emits less than 100g/km of CO2 and meets the Euro 5 standard for air quality qualifies for a 100% discount, however you must register the vehicle with TfL prior to entering the congestion zone. If you are unsure of how much CO2 your vehicle emits refer to your vehicle’s registration document (V5C). Any vehicle registered after 1st January 2011 is required to meet the Euro 5 standard for air quality. Please note: some vehicles registered before 01/01/2011 may meet Euro 5 standards, for a full list of Greener Vehicles see: www.tfl.gov.uk
Alternatively, you could buy an electric vehicle as these are also exempt from the congestion charge. The vehicle must be registered with the DVLA and have the fuel type as ‘electric’ on the registration document. On the other hand, buy a plug-in-hybrid that is on the TfL approved list e.g. Citroen CZero, Peugeot iOn & the Renault Fluence ZE.
Change Payment Method The congestion charge is paid per day that you enter the zone, no matter how many times you enter or exit the zone, you only pay once. You are able to pay in advance, on the day of travel or at an additional charge the day after. If you fail to pay by midnight on the subsequent day after travel, you will incur a penalty charge.
- If you pay on the day or up to 90 days before the day of travel then the congestion charge is £10 per day.
- If you pay the following day after travel the charge is £12.
However, if you pay using the Auto Pay system through Transport for London the daily charge is £9.
By using the Auto Pay system you could potentially save £260 per year, based on travelling in the congestion zone every Mon- Fri.
AVOID PENALTIES By signing up to the Auto Pay system you will avoid incurring penalties as this is automatically taken from your account at the end of each month. If you don’t pay the congestion charge before midnight the day after travelling then you will receive a £120 penalty charge, which is reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.
Here are a few tips to help you beat the congestion charge...
Buy a ‘Greener Car’ If you drive in the congestion charge zone at the specified times every day, then there is a substantial amount of savings to be made if you opt to buy a “charge free” vehicle. As it stands the congestion charge is £10 a day, if you work Monday – Friday and travel in the specified times then that’s a saving of around £2600 a year!
Any car which emits less than 100g/km of CO2 and meets the Euro 5 standard for air quality qualifies for a 100% discount, however you must register the vehicle with TfL prior to entering the congestion zone. If you are unsure of how much CO2 your vehicle emits refer to your vehicle’s registration document (V5C). Any vehicle registered after 1st January 2011 is required to meet the Euro 5 standard for air quality. Please note: some vehicles registered before 01/01/2011 may meet Euro 5 standards, for a full list of Greener Vehicles see: www.tfl.gov.uk
Alternatively, you could buy an electric vehicle as these are also exempt from the congestion charge. The vehicle must be registered with the DVLA and have the fuel type as ‘electric’ on the registration document. On the other hand, buy a plug-in-hybrid that is on the TfL approved list e.g. Citroen CZero, Peugeot iOn & the Renault Fluence ZE.
Change Payment Method The congestion charge is paid per day that you enter the zone, no matter how many times you enter or exit the zone, you only pay once. You are able to pay in advance, on the day of travel or at an additional charge the day after. If you fail to pay by midnight on the subsequent day after travel, you will incur a penalty charge.
- If you pay on the day or up to 90 days before the day of travel then the congestion charge is £10 per day.
- If you pay the following day after travel the charge is £12.
However, if you pay using the Auto Pay system through Transport for London the daily charge is £9.
By using the Auto Pay system you could potentially save £260 per year, based on travelling in the congestion zone every Mon- Fri.
AVOID PENALTIES By signing up to the Auto Pay system you will avoid incurring penalties as this is automatically taken from your account at the end of each month. If you don’t pay the congestion charge before midnight the day after travelling then you will receive a £120 penalty charge, which is reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.