London TfL Congestion Charge / AutoPay

[Yev000]

Moderator comment - related thread from "TFL, AutoPay registration required?" merged

I can see I can apply for a discount

You can apply for a discount online, but you'll need to supply certain documents to show you're entitled to the discount.

Documents you need to provide?
You will need to upload images or send photocopies of the following documents to apply for the discount:

UK-registered

• V5C vehicle registration certificate (logbook) issued by the DVLA

But not sure if I still need to register for autopay.

The other issue is I don't have a V5C. I presume people get this in the post at some stage?

What if I need to drive into London in the mean time?

 

[KennethS]

I previously had a Prius, which was registered for the discount (100% discount) and never signed up for autopay on that car since no payment was required. I received my Tesla V5C within a week of picking up my car, so you should have yours in a similar timeframe. You do, unfortunately, need to send a copy of the V5C to TFL to prove the car is entitled to the exemption, although one would imagine they have access to this information through a combination of the car's registration number and the DVLA records. However, they put you through the dance of filling in the application, attaching a copy of the V5C and paying the £10 fee (I suspect it's all about the fee). It took about 5 days for my registration to go live, and during the time you do not have the discount I would err on the safe side and pay the CC on days you travel into the CC zone.

Oh, and the exemption (mine at least) is only valid for 12 months and then I will need to go through the process again (can anyone say, another £10 fee, Ching Ching).

 

[Mr Miserable]

KennethS is spot on. You don't need to register for ULEZ exemption because when the registration is compared to the DVLC database it can been seen to be electric. Which raises the question of why there is a need to a. register for a 100% discount to the congestion charge and b. have to repeat the exercise each year. I think there is scope for a legal challenge to this bureaucratic nonsense.

 

[albuquerque]

It IS all about the £10 admin fee. If they can determine the car is ULEZ emempt, they can determine the car is CC exempt. It's not rocket science to work that out of the same API except for maybe special exemptions like "wheelchair access" etc. Also the re-registration after 12 month is plain rubbish as if the car suddenly stops being zero emission after 12 months and you need to prove it.

 

[eqDoBBs]

There is no excuse, they already have access to DVLA data, so they can send you fines, so should be able to automatically prevent congestion charges being levied against 0 emmission EV's. The £10 admin fee can in no way be a money making function, as the processing of registrations will consume more resource than this fee will ever generate.

 

[NorfolkMustard]

Congestion charge waver for full-EVs comes to an end on Christmas Eve 2025

for hybrids it’s sooner, 25th October 2021

 

[m-i-l]

FWIW I've been charged two £10 fees - one on 22 Aug and the other on 16 Sep. Not sure what the second is (I suspect a mistake) so I've queried it - they say they'll respond in 10 days.

 

[m-i-l]

FYI, they finally responded with "the £10 registration charge for Cleaner Vehicle Discount (CVD) application. The £10 charge on your Auto Pay service refers to the Auto Pay annual registration charge". My next question to them is - why do I need Auto Pay if my car is a zero emission-capable vehicle that gets a 100% discount on the Congestion Charge? Response could take another 10 days.

 

[Mark_T]

FWIW I've been charged two £10 fees - one on 22 Aug and the other on 16 Sep. Not sure what the second is (I suspect a mistake) so I've queried it - they say they'll respond in 10 days.

I received two separate e-mails a few days apart, both with the same £10 transaction receipt but only one actual charge to my card.

If you've been billed twice that is wrong for sure.

... unless you do actually have an Auto-Pay account in which case you do get charged for it each year.

 

[Yev000]

Moderator comment - Post previously "TFL CC charge"

So I can't seem to find this anywhere. Do EVs now pay CC?

There are some news articles that say they will be phased in 2025.

But on my autopay page it says CC should be paid, even after I apply for the clean vehicle discount. It also does not say anywhere that EVs are exempt.

 

[Mr Miserable]

You need to send a copy of your V5 and £10 to tfl to gain 100% discount from the cc.

 

[buzbe]

Gotta love that - its free, but you still have to pay...

 

[Mr Miserable]

Here's the link to the tfl site that explains it all.

 

[davidmc]

£10 to tfl to gain 100% discount

How does that work? My calculator broke working out that maths!

 

[Yev000]

Here's the link to the tfl site that explains it all.

That's what I did.

This is the result:

Nowhere does it actually say that the discount is for CC

 

[Mr Miserable]

That's fine.

Technically the CC is charged to the account and 100% discount then applied.

 

[Yev000]

That's fine.

Technically the CC is charged to the account and 100% discount then applied.

You're kidding?

That's even more stupid than I thought.

 

[Mr Miserable]

How does that work? My calculator broke working out that maths!

Yes, only in the UK!
And to make it worse it's an annual charge!

 

[Yev000]

And to make it worse it's an annual charge!

You know, I haven't actually figured out if I pay £10 for the discount AND £10 for Autopay, so technically £20 a year.

Especially if they need to charge you then refund you...

Would I get a PCN if I don't register for AutoPay?




My head hurts....

 

[Mr Miserable]

You're kidding?

That's even more stupid than I thought.

Yup
I did explain the process behind this in a thread a month or so ago.