How do I avoid the congestion charge in London?

With London being further along than most cities in the UK, it’s helpful to look at how the current plans have affected UK motorists and how we can try and minimise the impact on our pockets. 

This guide is here to make people aware of the options that may be available to you regarding the London congestion charge. For example, did you know Blue Badge holders can apply for a discount? As can residents living in the congestion charge zones. Continue reading for further advice on congestion charge exemption. 

The congestion charge used to be £11.50 from 7 am to 6 pm on weekdays with bank holidays free. As of June 2020, Transport For London changed the charging regulations due to the impact of changing traffic levels caused by the Covid 19 pandemic. 

Now, the charge has gone up to £15 a day between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm, with weekends included and Christmas Day as the only free day. As these changes were implemented as “temporary,” they may well change again so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the Transport For London website so you know the up-to-date charges for travelling into or through the centre of London.

Whenever you travel into London you should keep an eye on where you’re heading in relation to where the congestion charge zone is. You can use the London Congestion Zone Map.

Consider your route – if your destination isn’t within the charging zone, could you alter your route to avoid the centre of London? If it’s not too much out of the way, it’d be a good way to save yourself £15 a day. 

The congestion charge zone in London is in operation 7:00-18:00 Monday-Friday and 12:00-18:00 Sat-Sun and bank holidays.

If you’re going to be staying in London, it’s worth thinking about what time you will arrive. It’s likely that once you’re in London, you’ll be using public transport or walking so might not need to drive apart from arriving and leaving. 

This can make it quite straightforward to avoid the charge if you look at the congestion charge times. For example, you could plan to arrive late at night – after 10 pm – and perhaps to leave late as well when your trip is over. If you can manage on public transport for the duration of your stay this eliminates your need to pay the congestion charge at all.

Although sharing a ride with someone won’t eliminate the congestion charge, it will at the very least half it. You could arrange to travel to London with colleagues or friends depending on the reason for your trip and share any of the travelling costs including the congestion charge. The more people you have in the car, the cheaper it’ll be for each passenger when the charge is split equally.

When driving into London you may always just opt for your car and assume you must pay the full congestion charge. It’s worth checking the discounts and exemptions though, as there are ways you could then get around paying. If you drive a motorbike, for example, you’d be completely exempt from paying the charge.

If you live in the congestion charge zone in London, you can apply for a discount. If you qualify as a resident of the charging zone you can receive up to 90% discount. If you have just moved into the zone and are waiting for your proof of residency you can start the application process now and then complete it later when your proofs are available.

Unfortunately not. Since 25 October 2021, only zero-emission vehicles – such as EVs and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles – have been exempt from the congestion charge. From December 2025, however, even drivers of zero-emission cars will be required to pay. As this policy is continually changing, it is worth researching to see if your vehicle is classed as one of the EV or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that needs to pay. 

Not all blue badge holders are exempt from congestion charges. You can, however, apply for a 100% discount on the Congestion Charge if you are a Blue Badge holder. 

You can choose how to pay the charge from these options:

It’s clear that local councils are still navigating their way through the implementation of congestion charge zones. With London leading the way, we can most likely expect other cities to follow suit and we are able to take learnings from their strategies, and make some predictions for the future. 

What has become apparent is that research and planning must be done prior to your trip in order for London motorists to save money on your journey. It is also worth keeping an eye on updates from Transport for London as the plans continually change. This applies to both London residents and tourists. We also recommend following the TFL Twitter page for live updates and advice.