TfL is considering increasing the cost of the Congestion Charge, with a public consultation now open.
A daily charge increase of 20% — from £15 to £18, from January 2026 — is being mooted. The last time the fee was upped was in June 2020, when the charge rose from £11.50 to £18.
The Congestion Charge is a daily charge which applies to vehicles driving with a certain area within central London, running approximately from King's Cross in the north to Vauxhall in the south, and Paddington in the west to Tower Bridge in the east. It is separate from the LEZ and ULEZ charges.
In addition to increasing the charge in January 2026, TfL's proposal outlines plans to allow the Congestion Charge to be increased each year going forward, as already happens with Tube fares. The increase would be at a maximum rate of inflation plus 1%.
TfL claims the planned changes will "encourage the uptake of electric vehicles and promote sustainable travel across the capital". Data released in spring 2025 showed that the expansion of the ULEZ in 2023 has had a positive effect on air quality, so TfL is hoping that making these changes to the Congestion Charge will have a similar result.
With the goal of encouraging people to switch to electric vehicles in mind, TfL is also proposing a new Cleaner Vehicle Discount, offering a lower cost of Congestion Charge to drivers of electric vehicles. Such a scheme is already in place, and was due to end in December 2025, but these new plans see a new discount implemented from January 2026. The discount offered will decrease in increments over the coming years, encouraging people to switch to electric vehicles sooner rather than later. A higher discount will be offered for journeys which can't be made by public transport, such as vans delivering to commercial premises. Full details can be seen under 'Proposal B' on TfL's consultation page.
Any changes that do happen are expected to take effect from January 2026. The public consultation is open now, until Monday 4 August 2025.
