| London ULEZ | Congestion Charge | Clean Air Zones | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | All of Greater London | Central London | Birmingham, Bristol, Bath, Bradford, Sheffield, Newcastle, Portsmouth |
| Who pays | Non-compliant vehicles | Almost every vehicle | Non-compliant vehicles of the types the zone charges |
| Hours | 24/7 (not Christmas Day) | 7am–6pm weekdays, 12pm–6pm weekends/bank holidays (none 25 Dec–1 Jan) | 24/7 |
| Car charge | £12.50/day | £18/day (£21 if paid later) | £8 Birmingham, £9 Bristol; others don’t charge cars |
| Pay by | Midnight, 3rd day after | Midnight, 3rd day after | 6 days after |
| Pay at | TfL | TfL | GOV.UK |
Can I pay both the ULEZ and the Congestion Charge?
Yes — and if your vehicle is non-compliant and you drive in central London during Congestion Charge hours, you must. They’re separate charges paid separately (though both through TfL).
Emissions charges vs congestion charges
The ULEZ and Clean Air Zones exist to cut pollution, so they only charge vehicles below an emissions standard — broadly Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel. The Congestion Charge exists to cut traffic, so a brand-new electric car still pays (with a 25% discount via Auto Pay since 2026).
Scotland’s Low Emission Zones are different again
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee don’t let you pay to enter. Non-compliant vehicles simply aren’t allowed in, and are fined if they do.
Keeping track of all of them
Each scheme has its own deadline and payment site, which is exactly what EveryDrive is built for: it detects which zone you entered, tells you whether your vehicle is charged, and reminds you before that scheme’s deadline.