Direct answer
Three separate charges can apply to a vehicle used for a London move, and they stack rather than replace each other. The Congestion Charge is £18 a day if paid on the day or in advance (£21 if paid within three days after travel), and applies 07:00-18:00 Monday to Friday and 12:00-18:00 on weekends and bank holidays, in central London only. ULEZ is separate: it covers every London borough (not beyond the M25), runs 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day, and charges £12.50 a day for any non-compliant car, van, motorcycle or specialist vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes. On top of both, many residential streets have their own parking or loading restrictions set by the local council, independent of TfL entirely. A vehicle crossing into central London in a non-compliant van during charging hours can be liable for the Congestion Charge and ULEZ on the same trip, plus a parking contravention if it isn't loaded in a permitted spot - all figures here are TfL's own published rates, checked on 2026-10-21.
Contents
The Congestion Charge: current fee and hours
A central London traffic charge, independent of vehicle emissions.
The Congestion Charge applies to driving within the central London Congestion Charge zone during charging hours, regardless of how clean or compliant the vehicle is - it's a traffic management charge, not an emissions charge, and a brand-new electric van is still liable for it in the same way an older diesel one is (though some registered electric vehicles on TfL's Auto Pay scheme qualify for a discount - see below). As of our check on 2026-10-21, the daily rate is £18 if you pay on the day of travel or in advance, or £21 if payment is made by midnight of the third day after travel. TfL increased this rate from 2 January 2026, so if you've seen an older figure quoted elsewhere, it's worth treating it as outdated and checking tfl.gov.uk directly before you budget for a move.
Charging hours are 07:00-18:00 Monday to Friday, and 12:00-18:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. There's no charge at all between Christmas Day and New Year's Day bank holiday inclusive. That last point is genuinely useful for moving planning: a clearance or removal job that falls in that window, inside the zone, won't attract the Congestion Charge regardless of timing.
The zone itself covers a defined area of central London - TfL doesn't publish it as a simple list of streets you can quote reliably, and boundaries can shift with scheme changes, so the only way to be certain whether a specific address is inside the zone is to check it directly using TfL's own postcode and address checker on tfl.gov.uk. If your move starts, ends, or routes through anywhere near central London, checking the exact address is a five-minute job that avoids an unexpected charge turning up after the fact.
From 2 January 2026, TfL also introduced a tiered Cleaner Vehicle Discount for registered electric vehicles on Auto Pay. Discount eligibility and rates can change independently of the headline charge, so rather than quote a figure here that could go stale faster than the rest of this page, check current vehicle discounts and exemptions directly on tfl.gov.uk for your specific vehicle before assuming either the full rate or a discounted one applies.
ULEZ: coverage, hours and vehicle compliance
A London-wide emissions charge that runs around the clock, separate from the Congestion Charge.
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is a different scheme with a different purpose: it charges non-compliant vehicles for their emissions, rather than for driving in a specific zone at busy times. As of 2026-10-21, ULEZ covers all London boroughs - it isn't limited to central London the way the Congestion Charge is - but it does not extend beyond the M25 motorway. It operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year, with the single exception of Christmas Day.
The daily charge for a non-compliant vehicle is £12.50, and that applies to cars, motorcycles, vans and specialist vehicles up to and including 3.5 tonnes, and minibuses up to and including 5 tonnes. Whether a specific vehicle is compliant depends on its emissions standard rather than its age alone, though older petrol and diesel vehicles are more likely to fall short. If you're arranging your own van or using a removal company's vehicle, it's worth confirming its ULEZ compliance and weight category directly with TfL or the vehicle owner, rather than assuming a particular van size or fuel type is automatically exempt.
Because ULEZ is charged independently of the Congestion Charge, compliance with one tells you nothing about the other. A ULEZ-compliant van can still owe the Congestion Charge for driving in the central zone during charging hours, and a non-compliant van outside the Congestion Charge zone can still owe ULEZ simply for being on the road anywhere in London at any time of day.
Parking and loading restrictions
A separate issue from both TfL charges, set by the local council instead.
Neither the Congestion Charge nor ULEZ has anything to do with where a vehicle is allowed to stop and load. That's governed by the local council for the street in question, and it's arguably the detail most likely to cause a delay on moving day, since it affects every street-level clearance or removal job, not just ones inside the Congestion Charge zone or driving a non-compliant vehicle.
Many residential streets in London operate permit parking at certain hours, or have loading restrictions - single or double yellow lines with specific time windows, or no-loading periods near junctions and bus stops. A removal or clearance vehicle parked or loading somewhere it shouldn't be can be ticketed regardless of whether the move itself is entirely legitimate. If you expect a vehicle to be parked outside a property for an extended period while loading, it's worth checking with the council whether you need a parking bay suspension or a visitor/trade permit for that specific street, and asking whoever is driving the vehicle what cover they already carry as standard. This is a borough-by-borough process with its own fees and lead times, so confirm it directly with the relevant council rather than assuming a flat London-wide rule applies.
How these charges stack on one move
None of the three replace each other - they can all apply on the same job.
It's worth being clear that these aren't alternative charges where only the highest one applies - they're independent schemes that can all be triggered by the same trip. A non-compliant van driving from outside London into a central London address during Congestion Charge hours could be liable for the Congestion Charge (zone and timing), ULEZ (vehicle emissions, anywhere in London, any time) and a parking contravention (if it loads somewhere restricted) all on the same day, for the same job.
That isn't meant to make moving sound more complicated than it needs to be - most short local jobs in outer London boroughs won't touch the Congestion Charge zone at all, and a reasonably modern van is often ULEZ-compliant already. The point is to check each one separately rather than assuming that clearing one hurdle (say, confirming the van is ULEZ-compliant) means the others don't apply. They don't share a single checklist.
Scenario, cost and what to confirm
A quick-reference view of the three charge types, not a quote for your specific job.
| Option or job scenario | What it includes | Main restriction | What to confirm before booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Congestion Charge (central London) | £18/day paid on the day or in advance, £21/day paid within 3 days after travel | Applies 07:00-18:00 Mon-Fri, 12:00-18:00 weekends/bank holidays, inside the central zone only | Whether the pickup/drop-off address is inside the zone, using TfL's own postcode checker |
| ULEZ (London-wide) | £12.50/day for non-compliant cars, vans, motorcycles and specialist vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes | Applies 24/7, every day except Christmas Day, across every London borough up to the M25 | Whether the specific vehicle meets ULEZ emissions compliance |
| Residential parking/loading restriction | Permission to stop and load a vehicle outside the property for the time needed | Set by the local council, not TfL - rules and fees vary by borough and by street | Whether a bay suspension or trade/visitor permit is needed for that address |
| Move combining all three (non-compliant vehicle, central zone, restricted street) | Congestion Charge, ULEZ and a parking permission can all apply on the same job | Each charge is independent - meeting one requirement doesn't clear the others | Check zone, compliance and parking separately rather than assuming one covers all |
| Outer London job, modern compliant vehicle, unrestricted street | Likely no Congestion Charge, no ULEZ charge, no parking permit needed | Still worth a quick check if the route passes through central London at any point | Confirm the full route, not just the final address, if timing is tight |
Planning around the charges, not avoiding them
These are legitimate costs to budget for, not rules to work around.
None of this is about finding ways to dodge the Congestion Charge or ULEZ - both are legal requirements, enforced with penalties for non-payment, and this guide isn't the place to go into what those penalties are (TfL's own site has the current figures if you need them). The useful planning move is simpler: check the zone, check vehicle compliance, and check parking rules for the exact address and date of your job before it happens, rather than discovering any of the three on the day.
If you're clearing a property and arranging responsible disposal of what comes out of it as part of the same job, our responsible disposal guide covers how a licensed carrier should be handling waste once it leaves the property - which is a separate question from the road costs covered here, but often comes up on the same move. If the job is specifically about getting rubbish or bulky waste collected rather than a full clearance, our rubbish removal & waste collection London page covers that service directly, including how collection vehicles and timing work.
Whoever drives the vehicle on your job - whether that's a removal company, a clearance carrier, or you in a hired van - is responsible for their own Congestion Charge and ULEZ compliance, and it's reasonable to ask them directly how they handle it before you book. Some carriers build it into their quote, others treat it as a separate line item or expect the customer to cover it; there's no single industry-standard answer, so confirming it in writing before the job avoids a dispute over an unexpected cost afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
The questions that come up most often when a London move crosses the Congestion Charge zone or ULEZ.
How much is the Congestion Charge for a moving van or removal vehicle?
The standard Congestion Charge is £18 per day if paid on the day of travel or in advance, or £21 if paid by midnight of the third day after travel, and it applies to vans and removal vehicles the same way it applies to cars - there's no separate category for a moving job. Some registered electric vehicles on Auto Pay qualify for a discount, so it's worth checking current vehicle discounts directly on tfl.gov.uk before assuming the full rate applies.
Does the Congestion Charge apply on weekends?
Yes, but with shorter hours. The charge applies 07:00-18:00 Monday to Friday, and 12:00-18:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. There's no charge between Christmas Day and New Year's Day bank holiday inclusive, which is worth knowing if you're moving over the festive period.
Is a house clearance or removal van affected by ULEZ?
It can be. ULEZ covers all London boroughs - it doesn't stop at a central zone like the Congestion Charge, though it doesn't extend beyond the M25 - and runs 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day. A non-compliant van, car, motorcycle or specialist vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes is charged £12.50 a day, same as any other vehicle, so an older or diesel-heavy removal van could be liable if it doesn't meet the emissions standard.
Can the Congestion Charge and ULEZ both apply to the same move?
Yes, if your route and timing cross both zones. They're separate schemes with different boundaries, different hours and different purposes - Congestion Charge is about traffic in central London at specific times, ULEZ is about vehicle emissions London-wide, all day, every day. A non-compliant vehicle driving into central London during charging hours can be liable for both on the same trip.
Do I need a parking permit to load a van outside a London property?
Often yes, depending on the borough and the specific street. Many residential streets operate permit parking or have loading restrictions at certain times, and a removal or clearance vehicle without the right permission can be ticketed even if the move itself is legitimate. Check with the local council for bay suspension or visitor permit options, and confirm with whoever is driving the vehicle what cover they already have, well before moving day.
Does houseclearance.co pay the Congestion Charge or ULEZ fee for me?
houseclearance.co is a quote-matching platform connecting you with independent, licensed clearance carriers - we don't operate vehicles or collect these charges ourselves. Who is responsible for Congestion Charge, ULEZ or parking costs on a specific job is something to agree directly with the carrier you choose, as part of confirming their quote.
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