You may be able to get a discount off the charge
Drivers have been reminded about changes to the congestion charge (Image: Getty)
Drivers have been reminded of a key change to motoring laws that is coming in over the Christmas break. Some important changes to the congestion charge in London are coming in affecting all drivers, and there are two important dates to note.
From December 25 (Christmas Day), electric vehicles will no longer be exempt from the charge, meaning the daily charge will apply to electric vehicles whereas before they had nothing to pay. The other important change to note is that the congestion charge is increasing from January 2, going up from the current £15 to £18.
The charge is currently £15 a day if you pay in advance or on the same day, or £17.50 if you pay by midnight of the third day after you travel in the zone. These rates will increase to £18 and £21 respectively.
If you fail to pay the charge by the end of the third day after your visit, you will receive a penalty charge notice.
This means if you drive in the congestion charge zone five days a week in an electric car that was previously exempt, you will have to pay £90 a week, adding £4,680 a year to your motoring bills.
Although EVs lose their exemption from December 25, there is no congestion charge between Christmas Day and the New Year’s Day bank holiday, including the bank holiday, which is Thursday, January 1 this year.
So effectively EVs will only become subject to the charge in the new year from January 2, when the £18 daily charge comes in.
Discounts available
However, you may be able to get a discounted rate if you sign up for Transport for London’s (TfL) Auto Pay system. If you sign up for this, you can get a Cleaner Vehicle Discount for an electric vehicle, which provides a 25 percent discount for qualifying electric cars and a 50 percent discount for electric vans, HGVs and quadricycles.
Paul Barker, editor of Auto Express, said: “We strongly urge any EV drivers affected by the removal of the exemption charge to set up an Auto Pay account via TfL’s website so they can qualify for the 25 percent discount if and when it does come into force.
“For someone driving into London five days a week, this is a difference of £18.75 over a week, and £862.50 over a year on the current charge of £15 a day, and then from January, a difference of £22.50 a week and £1,035 a year, so is well worth doing.”
Auto Express analysis of data obtained via a Freedom of Information request suggested that the changes will generate between £415million and £455million in extra revenues over the next five years for TfL.
