ULEZ charge: What Heathrow bound drivers should know

With London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion now across all Greater London, it has understandably concerned holidaymakers driving to Heathrow Airport.

Airport parking company Airport Parking and Hotels (APH.com) has put together some helpful advice for motorists driving to the airport.

Originally introduced in April 2019 to reduce air pollution in Central London, the ULEZ is a daily charge of £12.50 for vehicles that do not meet later emission standards within the Greater London area.

It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except Christmas Day) and now covers most of the area inside the M25 including Heathrow Airport.

How should motorists plan ahead?

Airport Parking and Hotels shares some tips:

Vehicles that meet the ULEZ emissions standards are exempt from the charge so first, check if your vehicle is compliant with the TFL online tool at https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/check-your-vehicle/. As a quick guideline, for petrol vehicles the minimum standard is Euro 4 and for diesel vehicles it’s Euro 6.

The £12.50 charge covers a full day calculated from midnight to midnight over a 24-hour period, so it is one charge per day. The fee is charged for each day drivers enter a zone so travellers parking their car at the airport, will only need to pay twice – when they enter the zone and when they leave.

Savvy motorists looking to avoid paying the ULEZ fee can book an off-airport park and ride service situated outside of the new expanded zone. For example, Maple Park and Ride available through APH.com offers a secure car park facility just off M25 Junction 14, outside the ULEZ charging zone.

London Gatwick Airport and London Stansted Airport are both outside of the newly expanded ULEZ zone and are not affected by the charges, so these can be an alternative departure airport for travellers wishing to avoid paying the ULEZ charge or a possible fine.

Motorists wanting to drop-off and pick-up friends and family at Heathrow should be aware they will need to pay a drop-off and pick-up fee of £5 each at all terminals, plus the ULEZ charge of £12.50 each day which could be a total charge of £35.

The ULEZ charge is payable for all vehicles which don’t comply with the emissions criteria including cars, motorcycles, vans, minibuses, and trucks. Even if it’s hired, borrowed or a car-share it’s the driver’s responsibility to verify if its compliant. Payments can be made manually up to 90 days ahead of entering the zone or a few days after, or automatically when drivers register for AutoPay.