Once again, this time of year has arrived. Even though you were confident that you set your alarm for 6 a.m., you wake up to find that the clock in your bedroom now reads 7 a.m. You believe that you’re running late for work.
However, hold on. You’re not running late. There has been a time change due to Daylight Savings.
Time zones are adjusted twice a year, at the beginning and end of each season.
This begs the question: why? When will the United States ever stop adjusting its clocks forward and backward?
The notion that Daylight Saving was instituted so that farmers may spend more time in the sun cultivating their fields has persisted for decades. In reality, that is not why so many nations stick to it.
Daylight Saving Time (DST) was created to reduce energy consumption by increasing the number of daylight hours available. To make the most of daylight, the United States and many other countries adopt DST for 8 months in the year, then revert to standard time for the remaining four.
Time is adjusted ahead by one hour at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March. Then, clocks are set backward by one hour at two in the morning on the first Sunday of November. What would be a helpful method to remember it? Clocks “spring” (advance) one hour in March and “falls” (regress) an hour in November to reflect the changing of the seasons.
Since the sun is up for longer in the summer, you can save energy by not turning on any additional lights. In the winter, when some locations wouldn’t see the sunrise until almost 8:30 a.m., the clocks change to regular time so that everyone may begin their day with daylight.
How long has this been going on?
While the United States only started using the existing March-November schedule in 2007, the idea of “saving daylight” dates back far further. A letter from Benjamin Franklin to the editor of the Journal of Paris in 1784 seems to be the earliest known reference to the concept; however, its origins are unclear.
However, DST wasn’t implemented widely until well over a century later. During WWI, numerous countries adopted DST, including Britain and Germany. The idea behind the routine was to reduce the need for artificial lighting to help the army save gasoline. However, the United States didn’t adopt a consistent schedule until 1966, when the Uniform Time Act was established.
The United States traditionally observed DST beginning on the first Sunday of April and ending on the last Sunday of October. President George W. Bush added four weeks to DST in 2005, and the change went into effect in 2007.
The adoption of DST has not been universal, though. Only about seventy countries “save daylight” annually. DST is not mandated federally in the United States; for example, Hawaii and much of Arizona do not participate. Some states are trying to make DST permanent, including Florida and California (instead of only in March and November).
A bill is being introduced in Congress to implement Daylight Saving Time permanently. On March 15, 2022, with unanimous approval, the Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act. For this bill to become law, it must first pass through the House and then be signed by Vice President. If the amendment is passed, it won’t take effect until November 2023.
Those who favor the proposal argue that it will eliminate the problems caused by periodic time adjustments.
Does daylight saving time conserve energy?
That’s up for discussion. Although the method has been shown to help cut down on energy use, its proponents have been criticized by others who question whether the benefits are truly worth the effort required to adopt the system globally.
With the four-month adjustment of DST from April-October to March-November in 2008, the US Department of Energy estimated a daily savings of 0.5% in electricity consumption. A year’s worth of electricity for 100,000 homes may not sound like much. Still, according to the Department of Energy, it amounts to 1.3 billion kilowatt hours.
The National Bureau of Economic Research conducted research that same year and found that Daylight Saving Time boosts electricity demand. At the same time, lighting usage decreased, and heating and cooling needs increased, resulting in unchanged electricity consumption.
According to other research, the advantages of daylight saving time may depend on where you live. While one study revealed decreased electricity use in Sweden and Norway, another discovered increasing usage in Indiana.
It is still a point of contention if “saving daylight” is the most efficient way to conserve electricity. For now, though, remember to turn your clocks forward an hour on the first Sunday in November if you reside in a DST-observant country. Otherwise, you might come early for work when you finally get there.
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