Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)

Air pollution is not just a central London problem, with many areas still exceeding the legal limits for pollution across the city. That is why from 25 October 2021, the central London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is expanding as part of the commitment by the Mayor of London and TfL to help every Londoner breathe cleaner air.

Most vehicles, including cars and vans, need to meet the ULEZ emissions standards or their drivers must pay a daily charge to drive within the zone.

The ULEZ will be expanded to create a single, larger zone up to the North Circular Road (A406) and South Circular Road (A205). The North and South Circular Roads themselves are not in the zone.

Cars, motorcycles, vans and other specialist vehicles (up to and including 3.5 tonnes) and minibuses (up to and including 5 tonnes) will need to meet the required ULEZ emissions standards when driving within and into the expanded zone or pay a daily charge.

If your vehicle is compliant with the ULEZ requirements, you will not need to pay to enter the ULEZ.

The ULEZ will continue to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends (except Christmas day), with a £12.50 daily charge for vehicles that do not meet the required emissions standards.

80% of vehicles are already compliant. You can check if your vehicle is compliant by entering your vehicle registration number on TfL’s website.

Instead of replacing your vehicle, why not switch to a more sustainable mode of transport? Alongside our partners, we provide a wide range of initiatives to make it easier and safer for you to walk, cycle, use public transport and car clubs. These include:

• Free cycle training and maintenance, including 1-1, group and All Ability sessions
• Access to cycles, including the free Community Cycle Loan scheme and Try Before You Bike
• Secure cycle parking on residential streets and at stations 
• Walking initiatives 
• Car Clubs

If you need your own vehicle but would like to lower your emissions, why not consider an electric vehicle?

What are the benefits of an EV?

One of the biggest advantages of driving electric is the improvement it can make to the environment as pure electric vehicles have no tailpipe, so they don’t emit any exhaust gases.

The other main advantage of EVs is they are extremely cheap to run when compared to petrol or diesel. On average, an EV costs less than £1.50 to drive 100 miles - the average petrol equivalent, to drive the same miles, would be over £11.00.

Where can I buy an EV?

New EVs can be bought from vehicle dealerships or leased through leasing companies in the same way as conventional vehicles. Tesla are an exception in that they do not have a traditional dealer network and most of their sales are online.

Used EVs can also be bought through traditional vehicle sales outlets including franchised and independent dealers. If you’re buying a used EV, look for a retailer certified for its EV knowledge and excellence through the Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) scheme. This scheme is operated by the National Franchised Dealers Association and is approved by the Energy Saving Trust, which audits the retailers, and by the Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles. 

Find out more about where to charge an EV and how to request a charging point near you. 

Where can I charge an EV?

The location of public charging points currently in Waltham Forest can be found on the Waltham Forest Living Map and on Zap Map.

If you have off-street parking you can apply for the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) which is a grant that provides a 75% contribution to the cost of one charging point and its installation. A grant cap is set at £350 (including VAT) per installation. The main requirement is that a person owns, leases, or has ordered a qualifying vehicle and has dedicated off-street parking at their property. A person may apply for 2 charging points at the same property if they have 2 qualifying vehicles. 

If you don’t have off-street parking, you will need to use an on-street charging point to charge your vehicle. There are three types of these in Waltham Forest:

• 5kW slow charging points (these are located in lamp columns on residential streets and are most suited for overnight charging)
• 7kW and 22kW fast charging points (these are freestanding and typically charge most vehicles in around 4 hours)
• 50kW+ rapid charging points (these can add up to 100 miles of range in around 30 minutes)

You can tell us where you would like to see more charging points in your area by completing this survey.