New research has revealed that UK van drivers are spending an average of £780 per year (£65 per month) on fees and penalty charges for driving into Low Emission and Clean Air Zones. 

The research by Peugeot shows London van drivers are bearing the biggest financial burden, spending an average of £99 per month, 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). 
 
Van drivers in Wales, which does not currently operate any Low Emission or Clean Air Zones, paid out the least in charges and fees (£37 per month on average). Van drivers in Scotland, which operates Low Emission Zones (LEZs) in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen, spend £39 each month on average. Scotland does not use a daily fee system and instead places a ban on drivers of non-compliant vehicles entering the zones, with fines issued to any that do.

There are currently 14 Low Emission Zones, Clean Air Zones or Zero Emission Zones across the UK, including the London ULEZ and LEZ. Nine of these zones charge non-compliant petrol and diesel vehicles an entry fee, with Penalty Charge Notices issued to drivers who fail to pay the daily charge.
 
The 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.
 
Van drivers also spend more on Clean Air Zone charges than they do on servicing, repairs and MOTs, with maintenance costs coming to £715 per year on average. Insurance premiums are also lower, with an average cost of £626 per year.
 
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).
 
Steve Wass, Managing Director, Peugeot UK, said: “With rising fuel and living costs, our research highlights how much commercial van drivers face in terms of annual expenditure. For those regularly driving into Clean Air Zones, the cost of running a non-compliant van can add up, proving there has never been a better time to switch to cleaner and more sustainable transportation."
 
Based on Freedom of Information requests issued to the 13 councils operating Clean Air Zones across the UK, Peugeot found twelve of the zones to have generated a combined revenue of nearly £1.5 billion pounds since launch up to 31st March 2026.
 
Peugeot’s research also found that 66% of van drivers surveyed said their van meets the emissions standards required to enter Low Emission and Clean Air Zones (rising to 80% in London), while 15% say their van does not. Surprisingly, 19% were unsure whether their van meets the criteria, suggesting a significant proportion of drivers may not be clear on the emissions requirements affecting their journeys.