ULEZ expands from today with motorists slapped with new fees – everything you need to know

London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) has been extended to Outer London boroughs from today with hundreds of thousands of motorists set to be affected.

The new policy means road users with non-compliant vehicles will be hit with daily fees to travel in places such as Harrow and Bromley.

Drivers will be hit with £12.50 per day fees but this can quickly add up over the course of weeks or months.

Those who use their cars every single day will pay around £87.50 per week or £375 per month to drive.

The extension has been controversial with many residents holding protests over the weekend in a desperate attempt to halt the launch.

Where has ULEZ been extended to?

The new ULEZ expansion means Outer London areas will now pay the charges. This takes the zone beyond its current boundaries near Kensington and Fulham, Southwark and Newham.

Instead, southern boroughs such as Merton, Sutton, Croydon, Kingston, Richmond and Bromley will pay the fees. In the north, Harrow, Barnet, Enfield, Redbridge and Havering are among the areas affected.

Bexley, Hillingdon and Ealing will also come under the new ULEZ charging area. According to the RAC, it is expected that around 700,000 people will be affected by the fees.

How much will I need to pay in ULEZ?

Drivers must pay £12.50 per day to drive inside the ULEZ charging zone if their vehicle is non-compliant. Charging hours are from midnight to midnight meaning motorists could be forced to pay two sets of fees if they cross over the zone at night.

Motorists who fail to pay the charge will be slapped with a £180 fine, falling to £90 if paid within 90 days.

How to check if my car is ULEZ-exempt?

Motorists can see if their vehicle meets the ULEZ criteria through a simple tool on the Transport for London website. Drivers simply need to enter their number plate and choose a country of registration to find out whether they need to pay the fees.

Classic cars more than 40 years old are exempt from paying the daily rates if they have a historic vehicle tax class through the DVLA. Cars with a disabled passenger vehicle tax class will also not be liable for charges.

Can I get help financially?

Sadiq Khan recently expanded his ULEZ scrappage scheme with all Londoners now eligible for up to £2,000 in free cash.

However, the grant will only be paid out once drivers have proof their vehicle has been scrapped. There is also a grace period on charges for people receiving certain disability benefits.

What has the reaction been?

Locals have been mostly negative about the scheme with a series of protests being held ahead of the launch date. A consultation held by TfL last year found 59 percent of residents rejected the scheme.

Labour also missed out on securing Uxbridge in a recent by-election after locals turned it into an effective referendum over ULEZ. The result has raised questions among labour frontbenchers with leader Sir Keir Starmer speaking out against the project.

But, Khan has refused to back down and has pressed ahead with the project regardless. A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “The ULEZ is not a money-making scheme and within a few years, as compliance increases, it will actually make a net loss.

“Any revenues raised are ringfenced and reinvested into London’s transport network, including investing in state-of-the art electric buses, improving transport links in outer London. The ULEZ is a very targeted scheme which means that only those with the most polluting vehicles will have to pay the charge.

“Nine out of ten cars seen driving in outer London on an average day are already ULEZ compliant. To help drivers of non-compliant vehicles avoid receiving a PCN, they can sign up to TfL’s Auto Pay which has been free since 30 January 2023.”