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This is a short guide on where you’ll find Clean Air Zones, how to check if you'll need to pay a charge and create a business account, and what support or exemptions are available. The Clean Air Zones are introduced by local authorities to improve air quality. If your vehicle exceeds emission standards, you may have to pay a charge if you drive in a Clean Air Zone.
As of October 2023, several UK cities have implemented Clean Air Zones (CAZ) to improve air quality by reducing vehicle emissions. These zones impose charges on vehicles that do not meet specific emission standards. The cities with active CAZs include:
In addition to these, London operates the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), and several Scottish cities, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Dundee, have established Low Emission Zones (LEZ). Each zone has its own set of rules and charges, so it's essential to check the specific requirements before driving in these areas.
For the most current information on Clean Air Zones and to verify if your vehicle meets the emission standards, visit the official UK government website.
Each vehicle type has a minimum emission standard. You can find your vehicle’s emission standard in your vehicle logbook or from your vehicle manufacturer.
To avoid being charged in a Clean Air Zone, your vehicle must meet the following minimum standard:
| Vehicle type | Clean Air Zone minimum standard |
|---|---|
| Buses, coaches, heavy goods vehicles | Euro VI |
| Vans, minibuses, taxis, private hire vehicles, cars | Euro 6 (diesel) and Euro 4 (petrol) |
| Motorcycles | Euro 3 |
Local authorities may set a different standard for taxis and private hire vehicles. You should always check if you will need to pay a charge or contact the local authority for more information.
You can check if you’ll need to pay a charge for a vehicle before you drive in a Clean Air Zone. If you’re a business, you can check and pay for multiple vehicles.
Use the online service to check or pay a charge in a Clean Air Zone.
You must pay the charge by 11:59pm on the sixth day after driving into the zone. You can pay up to 6 days before you travel. If you do not pay the charge in this time, you may get a penalty charge notice (PCN).
If you’re a business with multiple vehicles you can set up an account to check and pay charges for multiple vehicles. You can create an account when you check or pay online.There are some national and local exemptions from the charge. You’re automatically entitled to a national exemption, and do not have to pay a charge if you have:
At Vanwise, we have a wide range of good quality vans of a variety of makes and models – almost all Euro 6 compliant. You can see all the new and used vans we have in stock right now online – and book a test drive by calling 01279 216163. Ask us about our finance deals and offers too.
Vanwise Group Ltd is an Appointed Representative of Automotive Compliance Ltd who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA No. 497010). Automotive Compliance Ltd’s permissions as a Principal Firm allows Vanwise Group Ltd to act as a credit broker, not a lender, for the introduction to a limited number of lenders, and to act as an agent on behalf of the insurer for insurance distribution activities only.
We are a credit broker and not a lender. We can introduce you to a carefully selected panel of lenders. We act on behalf of the lender for this introduction and not as your agent. We are not impartial, and we are not an independent financial advisor.
Our aim is to secure a suitable finance agreement for you that enables you to achieve your financial objectives. You are not obliged to accept our offer, and we do not charge a fee for our services.
If you purchase a vehicle, in the majority of cases, we will receive a commission from your lender for introducing you to them which is either a fixed fee, or a fixed percentage of the amount that you borrow.
Different lenders pay different commissions for such introductions and any such amounts paid to us will not affect the amounts you pay under your finance agreement; however, you will be contributing towards the commission paid to us with the interest collected on your repayments. Before we propose you to a potential lender, we will inform you of the likely amount of commission we will receive and seek your consent to receive this commission. The exact amount of commission that we will receive will be confirmed prior to you signing your finance agreement.
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