The congestion charge is the daily charge for qualifying vehicles being used in Central London between 7am and 6pm which is imposed by Transport for London (TfL). For details on where and when the congestion zone is see the TfL website: www.tfl.gov.uk

Here are a few tips to help you beat the congestion charge...
Buy a ‘Greener Car’ If you drive in the congestion charge zone at the specified times every day, then there is a substantial amount of savings to be made if you opt to buy a “charge free” vehicle. As it stands the congestion charge is £10 a day, if you work Monday – Friday and travel in the specified times then that’s a saving of around £2600 a year!

Any car which emits less than 100g/km of CO2 and meets the Euro 5 standard for air quality qualifies for a 100% discount, however you must register the vehicle with TfL prior to entering the congestion zone. If you are unsure of how much CO2 your vehicle emits refer to your vehicle’s registration document (V5C). Any vehicle registered after 1st January 2011 is required to meet the Euro 5 standard for air quality. Please note: some vehicles registered before 01/01/2011 may meet Euro 5 standards, for a full list of Greener Vehicles see: www.tfl.gov.uk

Alternatively, you could buy an electric vehicle as these are also exempt from the congestion charge. The vehicle must be registered with the DVLA and have the fuel type as ‘electric’ on the registration document. On the other hand, buy a plug-in-hybrid that is on the TfL approved list e.g. Citroen CZero, Peugeot iOn & the Renault Fluence ZE.

Change Payment Method The congestion charge is paid per day that you enter the zone, no matter how many times you enter or exit the zone, you only pay once. You are able to pay in advance, on the day of travel or at an additional charge the day after. If you fail to pay by midnight on the subsequent day after travel, you will incur a penalty charge.

- If you pay on the day or up to 90 days before the day of travel then the congestion charge is £10 per day.
- If you pay the following day after travel the charge is £12.

However, if you pay using the Auto Pay system through Transport for London the daily charge is £9.

By using the Auto Pay system you could potentially save £260 per year, based on travelling in the congestion zone every Mon- Fri.

AVOID PENALTIES By signing up to the Auto Pay system you will avoid incurring penalties as this is automatically taken from your account at the end of each month. If you don’t pay the congestion charge before midnight the day after travelling then you will receive a £120 penalty charge, which is reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.

We are all looking for ways to cut our expenses; therefore we've compiled a list of cars that are currently road tax free, see below for details...

TAX
Every UK registered vehicle must be taxed if it is used or kept on a public road. If the vehicle is kept off-road it must be taxed or a SORN declaration must be completed (Statutory Off Road Notification). If you fail to have your vehicle taxed or SORN then it could be clamped, impounded or even crushed, you'll also receive an automatic penalty of £80 and a minimum fine of £1000.

To tax your car you'll need the licence renewal notice or your registration certificate (V5C) with the new keeper's section filled out if you've just bought the vehicle, a valid MOT test certificate (for vehicles older than 3 years old) & valid insurance cover. You'll also need the fee for your tax, which is dependent on which tax band your vehicle sits in. Tax is calculated by the amount of CO2 your vehicle emits (applies to vehicles registered from 1st March 2001). See below for Tax free vehicles and for further information see the Direct Gov website: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle

A valid tax disc must always be displayed in your vehicle, on the passenger side of the vehicle's windscreen.  If you fail to display a current tax disc you could be subjected to a penalty fine of up to £200 - there is an exemption for vehicles that are taxed online allowing ample time for the tax disc to arrive in the post, this is till the 5th working day of the month, but this exemption only applies if you apply for the tax before the current tax disc runs out.

Lastly, don't forget to inform the DVLA if you sell, scrap, transfer or export your car, otherwise you'll still be held responsible for taxing the vehicle even though you no longer have it.

TAX BANDS
Your vehicle's Road Tax is priced according to when the vehicle was registered and which Tax Band your vehicle sits in. If your vehicle was registered before 1st March 2001 then your tax will be based on the vehicle's engine size i.e. for vehicles that have an engine size smaller than 1549 cc your tax will be £135.00 per year, for vehicles with an engine size greater than this it'll be £220.00 per year.

For cars that are registered on or after 1st March 2001 your road tax will be based on the fuel type and CO2 emissions. Vehicles with CO2 emissions lower than 100 g/km are in Tax Band A which is free of charge, see below for a list of vehicles. Vehicles with alternative fuel types i.e. LPG may be discounted. For vehicles that are registered on or after 1st April 2010 a lower 1st year road tax rate is applicable, for a full list of tax bands and details visit: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/

FRENCH ‘TAX BAND A' VEHICLES

Click the models for details

CITROEN C1 (April 2012)

- 1.0i 68 Petrol, 3 door - CO2 emissions: 99

- 1.0i 68 Petrol, 5 door - CO2 emissions: 99

CITROEN C3

- E-Hdi 70 Airdream EGS, 1398 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 87

- E-Hdi 110 Airdream, 1560 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 99

- E-Hdi 90 Airdream, 1560 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 98

- Hdi 70, 1398 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 99

CITROEN C4

- E-Hdi 110 Airdream EGS6, 1560 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 98

CITROEN DS3

- E-Hdi 90 Airdream, 1560 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 95

CITROEN DS3

- E-Hdi 110 Airdream, 1560 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 99


PEUGEOT 207 (August 2009 onwards)

- 1.6 Hdi (Diesel) FAP (92 bhp) Oxygo - CO2 emissions: 98

RENAULT CLIO

- 1.5 Dci 88 ECO, 1461 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 94

RENAULT MEGANE

- Coupe: Dci 110 Stop Start, 1461 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 90

- Hatchback: Dci 110 Stop Start, 1461 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 90

- Sport Tourer (2011): Dci 110 Stop Start, 1461 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 90

For a detailed list of other vehicles that are exempt from road tax see: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/TaxationClasses

Road Tax Band B vehicles are free for the first year, then £20 p/year thereafter. For a list of Tax band B vehicles go to the Direct Gov Website.