The standard Congestion Charge (CC) for driving in London will rise from £15 to £18 in January.
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has announced a £3 hike to the CC, the first increase since 2000. The new fare is £18, which rises to £21 if not paid on the same day as the incursion. It will apply from 2 January 2026.
Motorists of petrol or diesel vehicles will have to pay the fee when entering the CC zone during certain hours. Here's what the zone looks like (zoomable version here).
And here's what the hours look like:
07:00-18:00 Monday-Friday, 12:00-18:00 Saturday-Sunday and bank holidays. No charge between Christmas Day and New Year's Day bank holiday (inclusive)
The Mayor points out that this rise is lower than inflation, over the five years since the last price hike. The extra burden will not delight motorists, but it should be remembered that rail and Tube fares have also increased in recent years.
Electric vehicles now included in Congestion Zone
In a controversial move, the Mayor has also announced an end to 100% exemption for electric vehicles. Come the new year, the green motorist will face a £9 fee (50% discount) if driving a van or lorry, and a £13.50 fee (25%) for cars. These discounts will be halved again in 2030.
Further, to qualify for the discounts, you'll have to sign up for TfL’s AutoPay system, which will automatically deduct the money from your account when you pass into the zone. According to TfL, almost a fifth of all vehicles using the CC zone are now electric.
Residents of the zone can still claim a 90% discount for any type of vehicle, though new applicants after 1 March 2027 will only get the discount if they've gone electric.
None of this will be music to the ears of motorists, especially businesses who have no choice but to use the roads (for deliveries, for example). But if it can further cut congestion and pollution (while raising revenue) then millions of pedestrians, cyclists and bus passengers will see benefits. Says TfL:
"The combination of these changes enables a careful balance between continuing to support the important transition to EVs and ensuring that the Congestion Charge remains effective at managing traffic and congestion within central London."
The changes will come into effect from 2 January 2026.
