Before you take off in your hired van, you may be reminded by a member of the H&H team that you are responsible for the congestion charge… but what exactly is it and how does it work?
What is the Congestion Charge?
The Congestion Charge requires an £11.50 fee for most vehicles that enter the charging zone between 07:00 and 18:00; Monday to Friday. The fee permits you to drive in and out of the zone as often as you want within that day of payment.
Pricing & Operational Hours
Modes of Payment
You can pay the congestion charge in advance, on the day of travel or until midnight of the following charging day:
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Via Text Message
Text 81099 to make your payment. You will receive a confirmation message when your payment is successful.
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Via Phone
Call 0343 222 2222 for the UK hotline and +44 207 649 9122 for international calls.
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Via CC Auto Pay
You can register your credit or debit card for the CC Auto Pay. This automated payment system will record and bill the charges to your card every month.
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Via Online
Simply fill out the form from the Transport for London’s (TFL) website to settle your payment. This is applicable even for non-registered users.
Note: You need to be a registered user to make payments via – SMS, phone and CC Pay.
Discounts
You may be eligible for the congestion charge discount if:
- You are a resident living within or right next to the congestion charging zone
- You are a blue badge holder
- Your breakdown vehicle is under the European Economic Area
- Your vehicle has 9 or more seats
- Your vehicle has ultra-low emissions
- Your vehicle is a motor tricycle
- Your roadside recovery vehicle is registered with the DVLA
For more information about these discounts and any other exemptions, please visit TFL’s website here.
Penalties
If you neglect to pay the congestion charge within the allotted time, you will receive a Penalty Charge Notice of £130. This can be reduced to £65 if payment is made within a period of 14 days.
Any unsettled penalty charges that go beyond 28 days will be charged an additional £65, plus a Charge Certificate that will be sent to the registered owner of the vehicle.
Aside from our van hire services in London, we also love keeping our customers informed and updated! For an all-round thoroughly good service, call the London van hire experts on 020 7916 6616.
