London van drivers are the ones being affected the most. With an average spend of £99 per month, qhich is equivalent to almost £1,200 per year, followed by those in the Tyneside Clean Air Zone, which covers Newcastle and Gateshead, who spend on average £82 per month (£984 per year). Both London and Tyneside charge the same higher daily entry fee of £12.50, versus the £8 to £10 daily charge applied in the remaining Clean Air Zones operating in England.
14 Low Emission Zones, Clean Air Zones or Zero Emission Zones across the UK are currently in place. Nine of these are charge non-compliant petrol and diesel vehicles an entry fee, with penalty charge notices issued to drivers who fail to pay the daily charge.
PEUGEOT’s research highlights
how significant these charges have become for commercial van drivers, with the cost of driving into Low Emission and Clean Air Zones exceeding the £632 per year (over £52 per month) that van drivers spend on parking and related fines on average.
Fuel was the biggest expense
Despite Low Emission and Clean Air Zone charges representing a substantial outgoing for UK van drivers, fuel was found to be the biggest expense, costing on average £176 per month (£2,112 a year).
The research also revealed food and drink when at work adds an average of £88 to commercial van drivers’ monthly expenditure (£1,056 per year).
PEUGEOT’s research, based on Freedom of Information requests to the 13 councils operating Clean Air Zones across the UK, found that 12 zones generated almost £1.5 billion in revenue from non-compliant vehicles between their launch dates and 31 March 2026.
London accounts for the majority of this, with the capital’s ULEZ and LEZ generating more than £1.2 billion combined. This comes as the London ULEZ marks its third anniversary since its 2023 expansion, when the zone was extended to cover all 32 Greater London boroughs.
The research also highlights uncertainty among van drivers around emissions requirements. While 66% said their van meets the standards required to enter Low Emission and Clean Air Zones – rising to 80% in London – 15% said their van does not, while 19% were unsure.
For drivers using a non-compliant van every working day, charges can quickly add up. Annual costs could reach £3,250 in London and Tyneside, £2,600 in Sheffield and £2,340 in Bath, Bradford and Bristol, based on a five-day working week.
The average commercial van driver already spends £2,112 a year on fuel, alongside £1,061 on food and drink while at work, £780 on Clean Air Zone charges, £715 on maintenance, £632 on parking and related fines, and £626 on insurance.
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