What is a clean air zone?
To improve air quality in highly polluted city centres, some local authorities are introducing clean air zones (CAZ), also known as low emission zones (LEZ), to the UK. The Clean Air Zone has been designed to improve air quality in areas where it’s worst and where poor air quality is impacting the most on people’s health. It will help people to breathe better and reduce other health risks too.
Clean air zones are operating in:
- Bath : Live since March 2021
- Birmingham: Live since June 2021
- Portsmouth: Live since November 2021
- London: Live 2008 and subject to expansion in 2023
- Bristol: 28 November 2022
- Newcastle: Winter 2022
- Sheffield: Early 2023
- Manchester: Under review
Clean air zone exemptions:
- a vehicle that’s ultra-low emission
- a disabled passenger tax class vehicle
- a disabled tax class vehicle
- a military vehicle
- a historic vehicle
- a vehicle retrofitted with technology accredited by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS)
- certain types of agricultural vehicles.
As a guide, charges will not apply to:
- Euro 4, 5 and 6 petrol vehicles, roughly 2006 upwards
- Euro 6 diesel vehicles, roughly end of 2015 onwards
- fully electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
- modified or retrofitted vehicles registered with the Energy Saving Trust’s Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS) — they produce zero tailpipe emissions
- motorbikes
If your car exceeds the emissions standards set for the zone, you may have to pay a charge to enter. As the driver, it’s your responsibility to check you’re compliant. You can use the Government’s clean air zone tool to see whether you’ll need to pay and how much. You’ll need your number plate to start.
If you are looking to buy or part exchange for a CAZ compliant car, give us a call to discuss the finance options for it. Whether you have a great, good, bad or poor credit rating or score, we can help you finance the right car.
As subprime motor finance specialists, you can apply for finance on our website or simply contact us on 01942 466 035.
