Gridserve has revealed the best times to charge this Easter as millions of drivers prepare for the bank holiday getaway.

Gridserve Electric Highway chargers are likely to be around 10% busier throughout the day compared to normal and up to 20% at peak times

This year, the Easter weekend coincides with the end of the school holidays, meaning a bumper weekend of travel across the UK’s motorways from Good Friday on 18 April) to Easter Monday 21 April. Research by the AA indicates that the late Easter will increase holiday traffic by 15% compared to last year.

According to Gridserve, the ultra-rapid chargers on its Electric Highway are likely to be around 10% busier throughout the day compared to normal and up to 20% at peak times. Using historical charging data, the charging firm has also predicted where the most popular locations are likely to be across the UK this Easter, along with the most in-demand times the quietest times.

On average, across the Gridserve Electric Highway, the busiest time to charge is between 11am and 1pm. By comparison, charging at 9am or 3pm will be around 20% quieter. The study also shows that topping up your electric car battery before 8am or after 6pm is the best, as demand drops dramatically at these times.

Across the Easter weekend, Gridserve will again deploy EV charging attendants at some of the busiest sites to help customers with charging and manage queuing. The Electric Highway is also supported by a 24/7 customer service support line and a nationwide field service engineer team are on call for any onsite repairs.

A Gridserve spokesperson said: “Our data shows that it’s best to consider switching your lunchtime sandwich stop for a morning coffee stop or mid-afternoon snack break. Of course, some of our charging stations are always busier than others – either because they’re on a key route or perhaps they serve a great vanilla latte or have lovely loos. If your journey is passing by one of these popular sites, then use our app to plot an alternative route via one of our other Electric Super Hubs or Electric Retail Hubs.”

Gridserve Electric Highway Code of Conduct: Top tips when charging this Easter 

Using the public charging network should be safe, accessible and stress-free for everyone. Here are a few tips on EV charging etiquette:

1. Don’t block bays if you’re not charging
2. Don’t overstay after charging
3. Choose the right charger for the time you’ll be staying
4. Communicate with other EV drivers to avoid queue jumping
5. Look after the connectors
6. Don’t unplug someone else’s charger
7. Make the charging area clean and comfortable for everyone
8. Don’t press the emergency stop button
9. Share your advice and experiences with others