Driving in London 2026: ULEZ, Congestion Charge, and What You Actually Pay

Driving into central London can mean paying two separate daily charges, and it catches a lot of drivers out, especially visitors and anyone driving an older car. This guide explains what the ULEZ and Congestion Charge actually are, how much they cost combined, which vehicles are exempt, and what it adds up to if you commute in regularly. It sits in our Motoring category, alongside our other DVLA and running cost calculators.

What is the ULEZ?

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charges older, more polluting vehicles for driving within its boundary, currently covering all of Greater London. It operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including weekends and bank holidays, and applies based on your vehicle's emissions standard rather than its age alone: some older cars are compliant, and some newer diesels are not, so it's always worth checking your specific vehicle rather than assuming.

The scheme was introduced to cut air pollution from road traffic, targeting nitrogen oxides and particulate matter linked to respiratory health problems. It has expanded gradually since it launched, moving from a small central zone to covering all of Greater London, which means many drivers who were never affected before have found themselves liable for the charge as the boundary grew.

What is the Congestion Charge?

The Congestion Charge is a separate charge for driving within a smaller central London zone, aimed at reducing traffic rather than emissions specifically. It applies on weekdays and, unlike the ULEZ, only during set charging hours rather than around the clock, though it's worth confirming the current operating hours on the official TfL website before you travel, since these have changed over time.

Because the Congestion Charge zone and the ULEZ zone overlap in central London but cover different areas overall, it's entirely possible to owe one charge without the other, depending on exactly where you drive. A trip that stays within outer London but inside the ULEZ boundary, for example, would trigger the ULEZ charge alone if your vehicle isn't compliant, with no Congestion Charge due at all.

The combined daily cost

If your car isn't ULEZ compliant and you drive into central London during charging hours, you can end up paying both charges on the same day, a combined £27.50, just to make the trip. A ULEZ-compliant vehicle still pays the Congestion Charge if it enters that zone, but avoids the £12.50 ULEZ charge entirely.

One payment covers a full calendar day for each charge, no matter how many times you enter and leave the zone within that period. This means a single day trip involving multiple journeys in and out of central London still only costs £27.50 in total for a non-compliant vehicle, rather than being charged again for each separate entry.

Which vehicles are exempt?

Electric vehicles are automatically ULEZ compliant and never pay that charge. Most petrol cars registered from 2006 onwards and most diesel cars registered from September 2015 onwards also meet the ULEZ standard. Certain vehicle types, including some disabled tax class vehicles, may qualify for a Congestion Charge exemption or discount. Rules and discounts change from time to time, so check your specific registration on the official TfL vehicle checker rather than assuming based on your car's age alone.

Visitors driving into London from outside the city are not automatically exempt either, and the charges apply equally to vehicles registered anywhere in the UK or abroad. If you are hiring a car for a trip into London, it is worth checking the exact registration with TfL before you travel, since hire cars vary widely in age and emissions standard, and the hire company will not necessarily flag whether a particular vehicle is ULEZ compliant when you collect it.

What it costs over a working month

For a driver commuting into both zones five days a week in a non-compliant vehicle, the £27.50 daily combined charge adds up quickly. Over a typical 22 working day month, that comes to around £605. Across a full working year of roughly 260 working days, it adds up to around £7,150, before fuel, parking or anything else is added on top.

This is exactly why so many regular commuters into central London eventually switch to a compliant or electric vehicle, use public transport instead, or park outside the zones and walk or cycle the final stretch. Our Congestion Charge and ULEZ calculator lets you enter your own vehicle type and driving pattern to see your exact daily, weekly and annual figure.

How to pay and avoid a penalty

You can pay the Congestion Charge and ULEZ online, by phone, or through the official TfL app, up until midnight on the day after you drove into the zone. Missing that window means TfL can issue a penalty charge notice, which costs considerably more than simply paying the daily charge on time. If you drive into London regularly, setting up auto pay removes the risk of forgetting altogether, since the charge is applied automatically whenever your registered vehicle is detected in the zone.

Cameras across both zones read number plates automatically, so there is no barrier or ticket to collect on entry. This also means the charge applies whether or not you notice a sign, which is part of why so many first-time or occasional visitors end up with an unexpected penalty simply for not realising they had crossed into a charging zone at all.

If you only drive into London occasionally, it is worth planning ahead rather than paying on the day out of habit. Checking your route and your vehicle's compliance status the night before a trip takes a few minutes and can save a genuinely large amount of money compared with an unplanned journey in a non-compliant car.

Before any trip into central London, it's worth a quick check of your vehicle's compliance status and the current charges on the official TfL website, since rates and zone boundaries are reviewed periodically. Our UK car tax guide covers how emissions also affect your annual VED bill, if you're weighing up switching to a lower-emission car.

Frequently asked questions