ULEZ Scrappage scheme: Can you save?

Don’t want to fork out a small fortune driving your van through London? Rapid Vans can help you save up to £6000 off your brand new van. How to save The £23m van scrappage scheme, set up by the Mayor of London to soften the blow of London’s Ultra Low Emissions standards (ULEZ) is available to small businesses with less than ten employees, as well as charities. There are grants available for up to three vans per company and can be used to buy a clean, modern new or used van that will be ULEZ compliant. For more information on the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) read our Van Driver’s Guide to ULEZ. Under the ULEZ Scrappage Scheme, if you meet the eligibility criteria, you are able to apply from one of the following fund options. Option 1: Scrappage for frequent users of the Congestion Charging Zone (CCZ) – £3,500 To obtain the £3500 grant for your non-ULEZ compliant vehicle, your van must have been driven within the Congestion Charging Zone at least 52 times during the 6 months before 22 February 2019. This will be checked against existing transactions in your London Road User Charging account. Option 2: Scrappage and purchase/lease of Euro 6 replacement – £3,500 The van being scrapped must be a pre-Euro 6 model light van (or charity-owned minibus) that does not meet the ULEZ standards and replaced (by purchase or lease) with a Euro 6 light van or Euro 6 minibus for charities only. The micro-business or charity must be registered at a Greater London address. Option 3: Scrappage and contribution towards running costs of an electric van – £6000 The grant payment is made up of £3,500 for scrapping eligible vehicles plus a £2,500 contribution towards running costs including insurance of a replacement electric van or vans. In order to qualify for this scheme the van being scrapped must be a pre-Euro 6 model light commercial van or charity-owned minibus that does not meet the ULEZ standards and replaced (by purchase or lease) with an electric light commercial van or electric minibus for charities only. For a micro-business or charity NOT registered in Greater London the vehicle must also have been driven within the Congestion Charging Zone at least 52 times during the 6 months before 22 February 2019 – this will be checked against existing transactions in your London Road User Charging account. Under Option 3 you can apply for a refund from ULEZ charges for the three months after you first apply for the scheme. For more information more about electric vans, read our blog, Is an electric van is right for you. Do my business and van qualify for the scrappage scheme? For Option 2 and Option 3, companies must be able to prove that they are registered at an address in a London borough or the City of London this proof includes documents from Companies House, the Charity Commission or HMRC. To qualify for the scheme, micro-businesses must have 10 or fewer employees, up to £632,000 turnover or up to £316,000 balance sheet total in the preceding and current financial year and companies House registration as an active company in the UK OR be VAT registered in the UK. Charities To be eligible for the scheme, charities must be registered with the Charity Commission as an active charity Van(s) you intend on scrapping The vehicle(s) must be insured for business use, road taxed with a valid MOT, owned by a registered micro business or charity for more than 12 calendar months before 22 February 2019 and scrapped at an Approved Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF). Find out if your vehicle meets the ULEZ standards for vans and minibusses. Finance for ULEZ compliant van If you want to avoid paying the ULEZ charges and save yourself up to £6000 on a brand new van, speak to the Rapid Vans team today on 01446 502 955. Rapid Vans has a range of low-cost finance options available, including a cash purchase, cheap van leasing and hire purchase to get your business on the road.