Parking charges for Electric Vehicles in Westminster will remain the lowest in inner London
Westminster is a leader in encouraging residents and visitors to switch to electric vehicles. Westminster has 2,500 electric vehicle chargers – the most of any borough in London – and we are increasing the number of EV chargers every month. Also, half of our 80 refuse vehicles are currently powered by electric batteries in our efforts to make the Council carbon-neutral by 2030.
In 2024, we will be revising charges to park in Westminster, but parking an electric car will continue to be the lowest in London – whether you are resident or a visitor. And to incentivise people to choose an electric vehicle, rather than petrol or diesel car, charges for petrol and diesel cars will continue to be significantly more.
Residents Parking permit
The pay-to-park scheme will have six main bands, dependent upon CO2 emission levels as defined by the DVLA. Band 1 will be split between EVs with smaller and larger battery size.
The new resident permit scheme charges will start in April 2024. Charges would vary from £40 a year for a band 1A EV with a smaller 1-69kwh battery and £80 a year for EV cars with a larger battery, band 1B.
The most expensive permits will be £481.50 a year for a band 6 pre-2015 diesel vehicle emitting >256 g/km of CO2.
Despite the revised charges, residents’ parking permits will remain the cheapest in inner London.
Pay-to-Park
For pay-to-park, charges for EV and plug-in hybrid vehicles are currently extremely low as to be virtually nominal and are unsustainable going forward. Drivers of these vehicle types can park in Westminster for four hours by paying for just ten minutes. This means parking in Zone C is just 8p an hour. In the busy and congested West End (Zones F and G) it costs just 24p an hour to park and electric car.
So, from January 2024, in Westminster the lowest charge for an EV car to park will now be £1.46p an hour. This compares favourably with our near neighbours – Kensington & Chelsea £1.50p, Brent £2, Camden £3.84p and the City of London £5.
How do the revised parking charges affect the disabled and those on low incomes?
The disabled badge schemes the Council operate for disabled drivers grant either free or discounted parking. For Westminster residents, organisations and those working, studying or receiving life-saving medical treatment in Westminster, white disabled badges enable free parking in pay-to-park bays, resident bays and blue badge bays. About 3,500 white badges are currently on issue.
For visitors, various parking concessions are afforded to holders of the national blue disabled badge, meaning parking is comparatively cheaper compared to non-badge holders. Blue badge holders can park in blue badge bays free of charge and are granted an extra hour’s grace after the expiry of paid for time in pay-to-park bays. About 2.4m blue badges are on issue nationwide. All these policies will continue under the proposed schemes.
Residents over 60 have their Freedom Pass which gives them free travel after 9am on buses, underground, overground and British Rail.
How do the revised parking charges affect tradespeople driving an EV?
A recent survey showed that the main reason for drivers switching to an EV was the saving on petrol and diesel (around £2,700 saving a year).
Most EV vans stopping in central London use existing loading/unloading permissions which are there at no costs regardless of the engine type. They would also be entitled to park for free whilst charging in an EV charging bay.
Despite the proposed increases, tradespeople will continue to pay amongst the lowest parking charges in inner London. In Westminster, from April the highest charge for an EV vehicle will be £4.62p an hour. This compares very favourably with Kensington & Chelsea at £4.50p, City of London £5, Camden £10.34 (no discount for EVs) from next April and Southwark £11.25 (no EV discount) from next April.
For a 2-hour job in the West End, a tradesperson would pay less than £10 to park their van. In Zone C, the cost would be less than £3 to park their EV white van.
And don’t forget
In Zones A1 and D1 and 4 (Pimlico), B (St John’s Wood, Maida Vale, Little Venice) and C (North Paddington) there are no parking charges at the weekends as the parking zones only operate Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 6.30pm.
In Bayswater, Lancaster Gate (B3 and 4) and Belgravia (A2) the parking zones operate Monday – Friday 8.30am – 6.30pm. Saturday 8.30am – 1.30pm. There are no parking charges on Sunday and on Saturday the parking charges end at 1.30pm.
In the West End Zone A3 and 4 (Knightsbridge), Marylebone, Soho, Mayfair and Covent Garden (Zones E, F and G). parking charges apply Monday – Saturday 8.30am – 6.30pm. There are no parking charges on Sunday and on Saturday night the charges finish at 6.30pm.
This applies to all vehicles – electric and petrol/diesel