Will the Congestion Charge or ULEZ make your central London move cost more?
Moving in central London can cost more if the van enters the Congestion Charge zone during charging hours, but ULEZ, the Ultra Low Emission Zone, is separate and depends on the van. A compliant van should not add ULEZ to your bill. The quote should state any Congestion Charge clearly before moving day.
Transport for London now sets the Congestion Charge at £18 if paid in advance or on the day. A non-compliant van in the Ultra Low Emission Zone has a separate daily ULEZ charge of £12.50. Those are different checks, and mixing them up is where poor quotes go wrong.
One address inside the Congestion Charge zone can be enough to affect the cost if the van enters during chargeable hours. A move from Pimlico to Camden, or from Marylebone to Kensington, can still need a proper zone check even if the distance looks short.
We treat this as a quote issue first. The useful question is simple: has your mover checked the address, the vehicle, the timing and the wording before you accept the price?
Two separate charges
ULEZ and the Congestion Charge can overlap, but they are not the same scheme. We check the van for ULEZ and the route timing for the Congestion Charge.
Here is the clean split.
| Charge | What it checks | What it means for a removal van |
|---|---|---|
| Congestion Charge | Whether the van enters the central charging zone during chargeable times | A ULEZ-compliant van can still need this charge if it enters the zone at the wrong time |
| ULEZ | Whether the van meets the emissions standard | A compliant van avoids the ULEZ charge for that vehicle |
| Other road charges | Whether another charged route or zone applies | These are separate checks and should not be bundled into a vague London surcharge |
For vans and specialist vehicles up to and including 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight, the ULEZ standards are Euro 4 for petrol and Euro 6 for diesel. You do not need to memorise those standards. You just need your mover to confirm that the van being used for your job is compliant.
A compliant van means no ULEZ removal van charge for that vehicle. It does mean every central London charge disappears, because the Congestion Charge looks at where and when the van travels. If a quote says “ULEZ included” but says nothing about the Congestion Charge zone, the wording is incomplete.
The practical check is direct: ask whether the vehicle is ULEZ compliant, then ask whether either address puts the van inside the Congestion Charge zone during charging hours.
We cover all 32 boroughs from two London bases, with honest pricing and full insurance on every job.
Get a Free QuoteQuote wording and charges
Two central London removals quotes can look close on price, then behave very differently on moving day. One quote may say that the Congestion Charge is included where it applies. Another may leave road charges out, then add them after the van has already crossed the zone.
At GT Removals, we use a ULEZ-compliant fleet, so a standard compliant van should not create a ULEZ charge for your move. The Congestion Charge is a separate central London operating cost, so the quote needs to say how it is handled.
Fixed house move quotes
A fixed house move quote should tell you what is included. For our fixed house move quotes, the Congestion Charge is included where it applies, so the price you accept has already allowed for that part of central London access.
That matters because house moves have enough moving parts already. Access, stairs, packing, keys and parking all affect the plan. Road charges should not sit in the background as a vague extra that appears after the job starts.
Clear wording also helps you compare quotes fairly. A lower figure that leaves out a known central London cost is not the same as a fixed written price that has already allowed for it.
Hourly man and van bookings
Hourly man and van work is different because the total price depends on the time used. For our man and van hourly bookings, the £18 daily Congestion Charge is not included if it applies.
That does not make it a surprise charge. It should be shown or explained before moving day, especially if either address sits inside the central zone. The cleaner way to compare hourly quotes is to look at the hourly rate, minimum booking time, charge wording and whether the van is ULEZ compliant.
The warning sign is vague wording. “London charges extra” tells you very little. “Congestion Charge applies if the van enters the zone during charging hours” gives you something useful before the booking is made.
Check both addresses separately, because one central London postcode can change the quote even when the other address sits outside the zone. The timing of loading and unloading matters as much as the route itself.
Timing and parking
When a van enters central London during chargeable hours, timing becomes part of the cost. Planning the time well can reduce waste, but the van must actually avoid the chargeable period for the Congestion Charge not to apply.
Transport for London applies the Congestion Charge from 07:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday, and from 12:00 to 18:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. No charge applies between Christmas Day and the New Year’s Day bank holiday inclusive. The same vehicle pays once per day, no matter how many times it enters and leaves the zone that day.
For ULEZ, the charging day runs from midnight to midnight. That only matters for a non-compliant van, but it is worth knowing for late evening or overnight moves because crossing into a new calendar day can create a second daily ULEZ charge for that vehicle.
We would put the checks in this order:
- Check the addresses. Use the postcode checker and confirm whether either address sits inside the Congestion Charge zone.
- Check the van. The vehicle checker confirms whether the van meets the ULEZ standard.
- Check the day and time. A move before chargeable hours only avoids the Congestion Charge if the van stays out of the zone once charging starts.
- Read the quote wording. The quote should say whether the Congestion Charge is included, separate or not relevant.
- Arrange parking if needed. A well-placed van saves time, especially on streets with limited loading space.
Parking deserves its own attention because it can affect the day as much as the road charge. In Westminster, a parking bay suspension can be used for a removal van for a house or office move, and Westminster City Council requires 10 working days’ notice for a suspension request. Applications received within 10 calendar days of the proposed start date are subject to a £20 short notice administration fee if granted.
Other boroughs set their own rules and fees, so Westminster is only a central London example. If your move is in Islington, Camden, Kensington, Chelsea or another borough, the parking process needs to match that council. A suspension gives the van a planned place to load, but it should still be managed alongside building access and timing.
Read the quote wording carefully for road charges, especially on hourly bookings. A clear line about whether the Congestion Charge is included or separate is more useful than a lower figure with vague terms.
Cleaner quoting ahead
Central London moving is becoming less forgiving of old assumptions. Saved notes, older web pages and out-of-date quote templates can still carry the wrong Congestion Charge figure or treat electric vans as if they automatically pay nothing. Current quoting needs a fresh check, especially after the January 2026 change.
Eligible electric vans registered on Auto Pay can receive the Cleaner Vehicle Discount on the Congestion Charge, which reduces the daily charge to £9. That discount is useful, but it is still a Congestion Charge point, not a ULEZ answer. The two checks stay separate.
At GT Removals, we treat vehicle compliance, zone checks and quote wording as normal parts of central London removals planning. The charge itself is rarely the hard part. The problem is a quote that leaves you guessing.
Over the next 12 to 24 months, clearer online quote wording will matter more because customers will keep comparing movers side by side. Firms that keep their charge details current will be much easier to judge before moving day.
We know London logistics, from parking suspensions to narrow access and ULEZ.
Speak to Our TeamQuestions we get asked about central London moving charges
Does the Congestion Charge apply if only one of my addresses is inside the zone?
Yes, it can apply if the removal van enters the Congestion Charge zone during charging hours. The other address can be outside the zone and the charge can still matter.
Can we avoid the Congestion Charge by moving early?
You can avoid it only if the van does not enter the zone during chargeable hours. An early start helps, but the timing of loading, unloading and any return trip still needs checking.
Who pays a Penalty Charge Notice if a road charge is missed?
The quote or booking terms should make clear who is responsible for paying any charge that applies. If a Congestion Charge is not paid by the deadline, Transport for London may issue a Penalty Charge Notice, also called a PCN.
Is a parking suspension the same as paying the Congestion Charge?
No, a parking suspension and the Congestion Charge are separate. The suspension deals with where the van can load, while the charge deals with entering the central zone during chargeable hours.
Will older advice about ULEZ and the Congestion Charge still be safe to use?
Older advice can be wrong because charge amounts, discounts and scheme details change. Over the next year or two, the safest quotes will be the ones that show current road charge wording clearly, instead of relying on old London moving assumptions.
