Are petrol stations open on Christmas Day?
In Britain, there are laws around what is allowed to open when, including petrol stations, while motorway service stations have their own rules
Petrol stations are allowed to trade on Christmas Day and many are set to open their doors on December 25, although it is far from business as usual.
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While supermarkets and nearly every shop on UK high streets will be closed for the occasion, there are different laws for fuel stations.
The rule for shops over 280 square metres means they can only open for six hours on Sundays, and must close on both Easter and Christmas days.
But these do not apply to motorway service stations or petrol stations.
- Motorway service stations must be open 24/7, including on Christmas Day, so anyone who runs into difficulty while travelling to a relative’s can use facilities,
- There is no requirement for petrol stations to be open, or closed, otherwise,
However, most petrol stations on main roads do remain open on Christmas Day and even some smaller hubs do as well, although it is worth checking to see if your local is open or not.
Nearly every Esso, Shell and BP petrol station, the largest chains in the UK, will be open tomorrow.
Motorway service stations must be open to provide parking, fuel, food and drink.
The busiest day for travel was understood to be on Friday, December 19, when an estimated 24.4 million cars hit the road.
In London, there could be more motorists than usual from December 25 as there no congestion charge between Christmas Day and New Year's Day bank holiday.