We have helped almost 1,000 local drivers to adapt or replace their vehicles with cleaner, compliant ones through our financial assistance scheme. This means that they are no longer driving polluting vehicles in the city or having to pay to drive in the zone.
All our funding is allocated. The opportunity to express your interest for the financial assistance scheme has now closed. If you expressed an interest in the scheme before 23 September 2022, you will hear from us shortly.
Benefits of the scheme
- For many businesses, upgrading to a compliant vehicle could be a cost-effective alternative to paying the charge over the longer term
- Cleaner engines help to reduce harmful emissions in the city
- Upgrading to a compliant vehicle means you don’t need to pay charges in other charging clean air zones, including Bristol which is due to launch in November 2022
Eligibility
To be eligible for the scheme, you must:
- have at least one chargeable, non-compliant vehicle
- be able to evidence that this vehicle travelled an average of two or more days a week in Bath’s Clean Air Zone, over a minimum 60-day period between 1 May and 15 August 2022
- have been living at, or trading from your current address since April 2020
- have owned the vehicle you want to replace since April 2020
Check whether your vehicle will be charged in the zone
Existing non-compliant vehicles must:
- Be roadworthy
- Have a valid MOT certificate
- Not be nationally or permanently exempt from charges
Priority will be given to sole traders, individuals, charities, or micro businesses that cannot avoid using the zone or can't use an alternative vehicle.
If you are eligible, you can use the funds to reduce the cost of:
- Replacing an existing non-compliant vehicle with a new, or second-hand, vehicle of a similar make or model that meets the required emissions standards
- Adapting (retrofitting or repowering) existing or replacement non-compliant vehicles to meet CVRAS standards
Your replacement vehicle can be a compliant diesel, petrol or a used electric or hybrid vehicle. In exceptional circumstances, we can provide funds to replace a non-compliant vehicle with a different make or model, if this brings an additional air quality benefit, or protects vital services.
The scheme cannot be used for adding vehicles to your fleet.
Selling or trading-in your existing vehicle
If you are replacing your vehicle, you must sell or trade-in your existing non-compliant vehicle on or before the day you receive the new one. You can clarify this process later in your application with one of our financial assistance scheme administrators.
Discount for new electric or hybrid vehicles
You can get a discount on the price of a brand new low-emission vehicle through a grant the government is giving directly to vehicle dealerships and manufacturers. Visit GOV.UK to find out how it works and which vehicles are eligible.
In addition to interest-free finance, you could receive a grant of up to 35% of the net upgrade costs (the base price of the new vehicle before any additional cost options less VAT, the trade-in value of your old vehicle and any supplier or manufacturer discounts), significantly reducing the final cost of either replacing or adapting your existing vehicle.
Grants are capped for each vehicle type, as follows:
- Taxis, PHVs and vans: up to £4,500
- HGVs: up to £20,000
- Buses and coaches: up to £35,000
Register your interest in this scheme using our online form (below).
Providing evidence of your travels
Before we can progress your application further, we need to establish that you have driven your vehicle(s) on average at least two days a week in Bath’s Clean Air Zone for a 60-day period between 1 May and 15 August 2022.
Retrospective proof of travel could include:
- Charges, including penalty charges
- Parking charges in the zone linked to the vehicle
- Journeys logged for exemption purposes
- Verifiable booking data for taxi, private hire vehicle and community transport
- Proof of visits if using your own vehicle to carry out visits for the health and care sector
- Telematic data from in-vehicle devices
- Dashcam footage (if none of the above is available)
Prioritising applicants
There are limited funds and we will only be able to support motorists in the most polluting vehicles travelling most frequently in the zone. If your application has been prioritised, we will contact you, confirm your eligibility with a letter and put you in touch with our financial assistance scheme administrators.
If you are approved for funding by our financial assistance scheme administrators, you must place an order for a new vehicle within 12 weeks from the date on the eligibility letter we sent you.
Please do not place an order or purchase a new vehicle before you are approved for funding by our financial assistance scheme administrators. Funding cannot be applied retrospectively.
If you have not heard from us by the end of November 2022, please assume you have not been successful.
Credit checks
All applications for funds are subject to credit checks.
The maximum repayment period for the interest-free finance will be 60 months, but this can be extended to 84 months for some specialist vehicles, including buses and coaches.
Register your interest
The opportunity to express your interest for the financial assistance scheme has now closed. If you expressed an interest in the scheme before 23 September 2022, you will hear from us shortly.
Contact us
If you would like to talk to one of our team members about the scheme, please email CAZ_info@bathnes.gov.uk or call 01225 39 61 89 and select option 3 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).