May 17, 2022
If you live in London, or are looking to move into London, you should know about the ultra-low emission zones that were introduced to the capital in 2019. If you are looking to drive a van to move in the central London area or your move requires you to cross this area, your ban needs to comply with the Euro 6 emission regulations. If it doesn’t, you will have to pay a daily charge to enter the zone.
The zone was updated in October 2021 to now include all areas within the North and South Circular Roads. The North Circular (A406) and the South Circular (A205) are NOT in the zone.
Road signs will clearly state where the ULEZ starts. ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras are used to track vehicles when they enter these zones. Unfortunately, even if you drive into one of the zones accidentally and turn around and leave, you will still be charged. Be aware!
It is not a secret that the air quality in London is not great. In fact, it is one of the biggest environmental risks to the health of its population. Many areas of London exceed the legal limits for pollution. The government found that the biggest source of air pollution in London is emitted from traffic. Hence, they implemented an air quality plan to try and tackle the problem.
If you have a petrol van, to enter the ULEZ without charge it must meet at least Euro 4 requirements.
If your van is a diesel van, it must adhere to Euro 6 requirements to enter ULEZ without a charge.
Almost all diesel vans that are sold after September 2016 will be ULEZ compliant.
Most petrol vans that were sold after January 2006 will also be ULEZ compliant.
If your van is 3.5 tons or under, the daily charge will be £12.50. This is in addition to congestion charges.
If your van weighs more than 3.5 tons, it will be classed in the truck category. This means that it’ll be £100 a day.
To pay one off ULEZ charges, visit the TFL website. If you regularly need to pay this fee, you can set up an Auto Pay account for automatic payments. You can also download the TFL Pay app or pay by phone. You can pay in advance, or up to 3 days after your journey.
If you do not pay the charge within 3 days of your journey, you are liable to pay a PCN (penalty charge notice) of £160.
Here at Sky Van Hire, we have been providing reliable and competitively priced van hire for many years. If you are moving home and would like to take advantage of our trusted van rental service, contact us today on 0208 550 8800 or fill out our online contact form