Category Archives: Parking

Owners of the most polluting cars to pay double for parking across England

July 12, 2023Buying/Leasing, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, Parking, PollutionRepost

Lambeth council in London is latest to introduce emissions-based fees, with similar charges expected to be widely introduced

Owners of the most polluting cars may soon have to pay more to park as councils across England are expected to roll out new charges based on a vehicle’s CO2 emissions.

Lambeth is the latest council in London to introduce emissions-based parking fees, with similar charges now expected elsewhere in England. Owners of the most polluting cars can expect to pay more than twice as much as cleaner cars. There are now 26 different charges to park for an hour in Lambeth, depending on a car’s tax band and whether there is a diesel surcharge. The cost of a parking bay near Waterloo station in south London now ranges between £6.30 and £13.23 an hour, with payment made by an app.

The consultation on the charges introduced on 30 May included a new pricing structure for residents’ parking permits, which are already based on CO2 emissions. The annual cost of the highest band has risen from £340.73 to £500, with an additional annual surcharge of £140 for a diesel vehicle that does not comply with Euro 6 emission standards.

Of more than 2,900 responses in the consultation, 59% objected to the proposals. Lambeth has implemented the changes despite opposition, stating that air quality is a major public health issue and a wide range of interventions is required.

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Electric Car Benefits in Milton Keynes

August 11, 2017Blog, Charging, Electric Cars, Milton Keynes, ParkingTrevor Larkum

Following the success of our first eBook we have decided to do another one. The first one was a guide to charging your electric car at home. This one is specific to the Milton Keynes area, where we are based (though of course we deliver nationwide). Milton Keynes is the best city in the world for giving incentives to electric car drivers.

If you are considering an electric car and you live near, work in or visit Milton Keynes, then this is the guide for you.

Red Tesla Model S in the new MK showroom (Image: T. Larkum) — Red Tesla Model S in the new Milton Keynes showroom (Image: T. Larkum)

This eBook tells you all you need to know about the benefits of an electric car in Milton Keynes:

Charging in and around Milton Keynes
How to get free parking in Central Milton Keynes
How to get free parking at MK railway station
The Experience Centre, with free test drives and lessons
Planned future benefits, e.g driving in bus lanes

Click on the image, enter your name and email, and download your free guide.

If it leaves any questions unanswered, just get in touch (contact details here and in the eBook).

Dr Trevor Larkum
FuelIncluded.com
MyRenaultZOE.com

Electric Car Heaven 2: Parking in Milton Keynes

August 9, 2017Blog, Charging, Electric Cars, Milton Keynes, ParkingTrevor Larkum

Milton Keynes isn’t just the best place in the world for electric car charging, it also has a remarkably friendly parking policy for electric cars. This allows for free parking with a parking permit, and also at designated charge points without a permit.

Electric cars in charge point bays - no 'RESERVED' marking so they do not need to be plugged in — Electric cars in charge point bays – there is no ‘RESERVED’ marking so they do not need to be plugged in

Parking Permit

The bulk of parking spaces around Central Milton Keynes are Standard Tariff (so-called ‘purple’) bays – and electric cars can park in these spaces for free with a Green Parking Permit (GPP). There are an impressive 15,000 of these parking spaces in CMK. Applications for the GPP are made through the Milton Keynes Council website.

Purple bays are arranged around the outside of most of the Milton Keynes blocks, with the exception of the main shopping centre blocks which are Premium Tariff (‘red’).

In addition, the GPP allows for free parking in Off Street Standard Tariff Car Parks (there is one of these off Avebury Boulevard) and in Premium Tariff and Peak Permit Parking (‘black/red stripes’). These latter are typically at the ends of blocks close to the shopping areas.

The Council provides a handy Milton Keynes Parking Map (PDF) with a colour key which indicates the different tariff locations.

Charge Point Parking

Furthermore, electric cars can park at charging points for free, independent of any Permit, even though many of these locations are actually in the expensive Premium areas. It can therefore become a little complicated determining the exact restrictions that apply. The Council website states:

All rapid chargers (currently available for 2 hours only) and electric vehicle spaces with ‘Electric Vehicle Charging Only‘ marked on the signage, can only be used by electric vehicles that are plugged in and charging. Electric vehicle motorists do not need to pay to park if parking in these spaces whilst they are plugged in and charging.

We also operate dual restriction bays which are reserved for electric vehicles only during 7am – 10am and 4pm – 6pm. During the core hours of 10am – 4pm any vehicle can use the spaces, subject to the surrounding parking restriction. Electric vehicles do not have to pay to park in these bays.

Electric charge point CMK (Image: One MK) — A ‘RESERVED’ charge point in CMK – the car must be plugged in (Image: One MK)

A simpler way to understand this, as it was explained to me by a council official, is that there are no restrictions on an electric vehicle parking in a charge point bay for free, except that if the charge point has “RESERVED” painted down its side then the EV must be plugged in.

Milton Keynes Station Parking

Milton Keynes is a major commuter town with many people driving to MK Station to take the train to London. The parking at the station is not included in the Council scheme. However, it also provides free parking for electric cars under a scheme provided by London Midland, the operators of the rail line (this scheme also covers other stations along the line). I have detailed this scheme previously: Free Electric Car Parking at Milton Keynes Station.

How I’m saving a small fortune on my commute with an Electric Car

April 3, 2017Blog, BP Chargemaster, Charging, Economy, Electric Cars, Milton Keynes, Parking, Renault, ZOEJo

Receiving my monthly bill from Chargemaster makes me happy. Let me explain….

Chargemaster Plc is the company that provides the majority of Milton Keynes electric car charging points and since I only charge publicly I am billed by them for all of my ‘fuel’ consumption.

Working in Central Milton Keynes, I am lucky to have a vast network of charging points available to me, I charge mostly during my working day, as and when I need to. I also benefit from free parking under the Green Permit Scheme which covers all standard bays (purple) and some premium bays (red), both can be found across the city centre area.

Last month’s bill really did highlight to me the huge cost savings owning an Electric Car has given me, and why every commuter in Central Milton Keynes should consider getting one.

Check this out…

	Petrol Car	Electric Car
Fuel cost per day	£3 (approx.)*	£0.71**
Parking	£18 (£2 per hr x9)	£0
Total cost per day for parking & fuel	£21	£0.71
Total for the period (11 working days)	£231 Estimated	£17.20 Actual cost billed by Chargemaster PLC (inclusive of Polar subscription fee)
Averaged over a working year (261 days)	£5,481	£408.11

*Based on my 15 mile round trip commute @ 20p per mile.

** Averaged daily cost from bill, includes ALL mileage not just commutable distance.

A Mother’s Tale of Electric Cars

March 23, 2017Blog, Leaf, Nissan, ParkingCar, Electric, EV, Mother, Mothers Day, WomanGuest

I love my electric car! It’s nippy and smooth to drive, all at the same time. Somehow it seems to glide effortlessly along and I can weave in and out of traffic very easily. I use it for all my local errands – family shop, trips to the gym, plus the never-ending Mum-taxi drop offs and pick ups……At night, I plug it in when I finally get home and it is fully charged the next day, ready to go.

I rarely use up more more than 30% of the battery going about my usual day, so I don’t really have any concerns about the battery life. It took a little getting used to on longer journeys into London – I learned to drive just a little bit slower to conserve the battery – although when we get our new Nissan Leaf next week, it will have a longer range and I can then really put my foot down?. The free congestion charge and almost free parking in Westminster always make up for the extra 5 minutes in the car!

Most of all, I enjoy the engine quietness and the ‘smug value’ that comes from knowing that I am doing the right thing for my children by not adding more polluting emissions to the earth’s atmosphere. On top of that, it makes financial sense – a new car (let me say that again, a new car – I have NEVER had a new car before!) for just a little more per month than we previously paid for fuel. It’s a no-brainer for me.

Free Car Parking for Electric Vehicles in Milton Keynes

October 10, 2016Blog, Electric Cars, Milton Keynes, ParkingTrevor Larkum

Working out exactly where you can park an EV for free in Milton Keynes has for a long time been tricky. At some charge points you have to be plugged in to get free parking but not at others, and it’s never been clear to me which is which.

However things have improved significantly recently as a new scheme has started (7 July 2016) which allows you to park for free in any parking spaces in Purple Zones, which seems to be most of them, so long as you register first.

The process is pretty straightforward (though a completely online system would seem to be more appropriate):

You’ll need proof that that your car is an ‘Ultra Low Electric Vehicle’ (‘fuel type’ is ‘Electricity’). Ideally get a copy of your V5C registration document. This should be sent to you if you bought the car (e.g. on PCP). If instead you leased the car you can request a copy from your leasing company (they keep it as technically they own the car). Alternatively i’ve heard that you can just take a copy of the car’s details from the DVLA website, though I haven’t tried this approach myself.
Go to the MK Council’s Electric Vehicle Charge Points web page and download the form from the link labelled green permit application form (PDF, 165KB).
Complete the form.
If you can, scan the form and the proof of electric fuel type and email it back to parkingpermitapplications@milton-keynes.gov.uk.
If not, you’ll need to post them to the address on the form (you would also need to do this if the car is not a plug-in but a vehicle with emissions between 75 and 100g/km like some hybrids and eco cars and you want to pay by cheque. Whereas electrics, plug-in hybrids and some hybrids with emissions below 75g/km are free to register, vehicles producing emissions in the upper band pay £75).

My free electric car parking permit (Image: T. Larkum)

I applied about a week ago and my parking permit has just arrived back – I’m impressed at how quick it was. You receive an A4 letter, part of which is the tear-off permit. You also get a self-adhesive holder which sticks inside the windscreen.

My i3 proudly showing off its new parking permit (Image: T. Larkum)

All that remains is to attach the permit inside the car and you’re ready to park almost anywhere in Milton Keynes (you still need to avoid the high priced Red Zones).