Low emission zone support fund for households

Low emission zones in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee are now in effect.  Low emission zones are designed to improve local air quality by discouraging older, more polluting vehicles from entering the zone. 

For more information, please visit our low emission zone webpage. 

The low emission zone support fund is funded by Transport Scotland and administered by Energy Saving Trust. It offers an incentive for low-income households to take older, more polluting vehicles off the road. 

Grants of up to £3,000 are available to incentivise the disposal of non-compliant vehicles: 

• £2,000 is available to eligible households who dispose of their non-compliant vehicle at a Scottish authorised treatment facility. The applicant must live close to a Scottish low emission zone and be in receipt of specific means-tested benefits. 
• Travel Better grants of up to £500 will also be made available for each adult in your household. A maximum of £1,000 per household applies. 

Important: this fund is currently closed. There is no guarantee funding will be renewed in the new financial year, but if you wish to register your interest for any future funding, you can complete the self-referral form below.

Before you complete the form, please review the eligibility criteria.

Self-referral form

If your answers indicate you may be eligible, if and when we reopen, you will receive a link to the full online application form by email.  

You  MUST NOT scrap your vehicle until you have received and accepted a grant offer letter from Energy Saving Trust confirming your grant award, otherwise your offer will be withdrawn.

To be eligible for the low emission zone support fund, you must meet all of the following criteria (you can also download the eligibility criteria):

1. You must live within a 20km radius of a Scottish low emission zone. If you are unsure, a Home Energy Scotland advisor will be able to confirm this when you call them.
2. You must own and be the registered keeper of a vehicle that does not meet the minimum emissions standards of low emission zones:

• Euro 3 or older petrol vehicles – this  generally applies to those registered before 2006 
• Euro 5 or older diesel vehicles – this  generally applies to those registered before September 2015 

You can use the Vehicle Checker  to see whether your vehicle would be allowed to enter a zone. 

The vehicle must hold a current MOT, be fully taxed and must not hold SORN status. If you are unsure, you can check online if your vehicle is taxed and its MOT status. 

3. You must have owned and been the registered keeper of the vehicle for at least 12 months with no outstanding finance.
4. You must be in receipt of specific means-tested benefits (eligible benefits are listed below). If you are unsure, or believe you are eligible for a benefit but need help accessing it, a Home Energy Scotland advisor will be able to help.

List of eligible benefits: 

• Adult disability payment 
• Attendance allowance 
• Carer’s allowance 
• Child tax credit 
• Council tax benefit (excluding 25 per cent discount) 
• Disability living allowance 
• Employment and support allowance 
• Housing benefit 
• Income-based job seeker allowance 
• Income support 
• Pension credit 
• Personal independence payment 
• Universal credit 
• Working tax credit 

5. The low emission zone support fund cannot be used in conjunction with Transport Scotland’s electric vehicle loan. This is a standalone fund, and the applicant must not apply for the electric vehicle loan within six months following grant payment from the low emission zone support fund.
6. Funding is available for one eligible vehicle per property.

If you are eligible for the low emission zone support fund and have received funding, you will also be entitled to further funding support towards sustainable travel measures. See the travel better fund for households section below for more information. 

If you would like additional information on the scheme, please email: LEZfund@est.org.uk 

If you successfully claim the low emission zone support fund and choose to move towards sustainable travel modes, we can reimburse you and one other adult in your household up to £500 each (maximum of £1,000 per household, no more than two applicants). 

Alternatively, your households can request the full £1,000 per household to fund a cargo (including electric cargo options) or an adapted cycle to support your households needs.  

Eligible travel measures include: 

Meet Sharafaldin, who applied for the Low Emission Zone Support Fund and received a grant to dispose of his more polluting car. He also got extra help through the Travel Better Fund, and received a grant to purchase an ebike and a standard bike for another member of his household.

Watch the video to learn about the financial and health benefits of his switch from driving to cycling, and how the fund has helped him and his family to get ready for the introduction of Edinburgh’s Low Emission Zone.

Energy Saving Trust is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This fund is subject to availability and terms and conditions apply. 

If you’re looking for business funding, you can find out more on about the low emission zone support fund for businesses.