ULEZ, clean air zones and the congestion charge
If your vehicle does not meet the emissions standard, driving into a charging zone costs a daily fee. London ULEZ and the seven English clean air zones each set their own rules, and a Class C zone charges vans and taxis but not private cars.
Last checked 12/09/2026.
For a driver working a city centre this is a fixed daily cost of going to work, and it is the one cost that can make a whole area not worth driving in.
The two systems
London runs its own schemes under Transport for London: the congestion charge for driving into the centre at certain times, and the Ultra Low Emission Zone, which covers all 32 boroughs and charges any vehicle that does not meet the emissions standard. They are separate charges and a non-compliant vehicle in central London can pay both on the same day.
Outside London, English cities run Clean Air Zones in classes. The class decides which vehicles are charged.
| Class | What is charged |
|---|---|
| A | Buses, coaches, taxis and private hire |
| B | The above plus heavy goods vehicles |
| C | The above plus vans and minibuses. Private cars are free |
| D | The above plus private cars |
Where the zones are
Seven clean air zones operate in England, in Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Tyneside, alongside the London schemes. Scotland runs Low Emission Zones in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen, which ban non-compliant vehicles outright rather than charging them.
The daily rates, the classes and the boundaries change. Driving in a clean air zone (opens in a new tab) on gov.uk is the list to check rather than any page that quotes a figure, including this one.
What it does to the economics
A non-compliant car paying a daily charge every working day pays it around 250 times a year. Even at a modest daily rate that is a four-figure annual cost, which for many drivers is more than the difference between keeping the car and replacing it with a compliant one.
Run the sum before assuming either answer. Daily charge times working days, against the cost of changing the vehicle, over the years you would keep it.
Claiming it
A zone charge incurred on a business journey is a business cost. The complication is that if you claim the mileage rate, that rate is intended to cover the costs of running the vehicle, and there is a reasonable argument either way about whether an entry charge is one of those. Parking, tolls and congestion charges are commonly claimed on top of mileage; the position on emissions charges is less settled. If the amounts are large, confirm it rather than assuming.
Sources
Common questions
- Is the ULEZ charge tax deductible?
- Yes, where the journey was for the work, and only if you are claiming actual vehicle costs. If you claim the mileage rate, the position is arguable and the cautious answer is that the rate is meant to cover running the vehicle. A charge for entering a zone is closer to a toll than a running cost, so many drivers claim it separately. If you claim a large amount this way, get it confirmed.
- Do all clean air zones charge cars?
- No. Only Class D zones charge private cars. Class C zones charge vans, taxis, private hire, buses and lorries, and let cars through free.
- Is an electric vehicle exempt?
- Yes, from every UK charging zone, because a fully electric vehicle meets every emissions standard by definition. For a driver working central London or Birmingham daily, that exemption alone can be worth more than the fuel saving.
- How do I know if my car is compliant?
- Check the registration on the operator's vehicle checker before you drive in. Broadly, petrol cars from around 2006 and diesel cars from around September 2015 meet the standards, but the check is authoritative and the rule of thumb is not.
- What happens if I forget to pay?
- A penalty charge notice, typically far larger than the daily fee, reduced if paid quickly. Penalties and fines are not tax deductible even when the underlying journey was for work.
About the author
Issac Davies, Founder of JoltMile
Issac Davies drives for gig apps in the UK and built JoltMile to show drivers what a shift actually pays once fuel, insurance and tax come off. Every guide here is checked against HMRC and gov.uk guidance, and is information rather than tax advice.
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Expenses: the JoltMile app works this out from your own shifts. Your first 10 shifts are free.
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