Charging network Gridserve has revealed the best – and worst – times to charge electric cars over the Christmas break and is offering drivers discounts on charging as a festive treat.

Peak charging times over Christmas are likely to be between 12pm and 1pm

An estimated 20 million people will be driving home for Christmas, placing extra demand on motorways, service areas and electric vehicle chargers.

Peak charging times over Christmas are likely to be between 12pm and 1pm, whereas chargers are 16% quieter at 10am and 22% quieter at 4pm. The quietest periods are before 9am and after 6pm.

Charging data from last year shows that the Saturday before Christmas was the busiest (21 December this year), but with Christmas Day falling midweek, Gridserve predicts that chargers will be heavily in demand on Monday 23 December as well. December 27 and December 29 are also traditionally the busiest travel days post-Christmas.

The Gridserve app helps users find the best charging locations with real-time availability, navigable via Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze. It enables secure payment at Gridserve chargers, allows users to monitor their charge and automatically emails receipts and session summaries after each session.

Gridserve is also offering EV drivers using the app 20% off charging fees on 20 December, with savings increasing each day, leading up to a special Christmas Day surprise from Santa.

Rebecca Trebble, chief product officer at Gridserve, said: “The festive period is one of the busiest times on our charging network as our customers hit the road to visit friends and family. And to make driving home for Christmas easy, there will be a special festive treat for those charging via the app – the easiest way to plan, monitor and pay for your charge.

“By sharing the best times to travel and charge we can ensure everyone gets the best charging experience. We’ve also expanded some of our busiest sites ahead of Christmas, such as Moto Wetherby and Moto Rugby, and our customer support team will be available 24/7 providing support.”

The Gridserve Electric Highway now has more than 190 locations with over 1,400 charging bays, all accessed through contactless payments and supported by a 24/7 customer service support centre.