Time Change : summer time
At 2:00 am on Sunday, 29 March 2020, the time will change to 3:00 am. Like they do every year, the clocks go forward on the last Sunday in March. We will lose one hour’s sleep between Saturday night and Sunday morning.
So what parts of the world will be enjoying longer, lighter evenings? What is the reason behind daylight saving time? And will the practice of changing clocks continue in the years ahead? Let’s take a look.
Which countries do adopt daylight saving time?
Moving the clocks forward to summer time is a practice observed mainly in countries with milder climates. As the days grow longer in summer, daylight saving allows us to match the regular rhythm of the sun. Seventy six countries around the world adopt daylight saving, mainly in Europe and the USA, although certain countries in the Southern Hemisphere such as Chile and also the Middle East do move their clocks forward to summer time.
Although the clocks are usually changed on the last Sunday in March, some countries do opt for different dates. In Jordan, the clocks are changed on the last Thursday in March. In Palestine, they lose an hour’s sleep on the third Sunday in April.
So why do we change the clocks?
- In 1916, France, Germany and the UK implemented daylight saving in order to conserve energy. During the second world war, the practice of moving the clocks forward was abandoned.
- Then in 1976, following the 1973 oil crisis, daylight saving was reinstated in a number of European countries. Changing the clocks was seen an energy-saving measure as it meant using less artificial lighting in the evenings.
- In the early 80s, all European Union member states implemented daylight saving. In 1988, a set date was enforced within the EU in order to facilitate transport and communication between member states.
Initially, energy savings were relatively low as artificial lighting was simply being used in the mornings instead. Then in 2009, as a result of changing social habits in different countries, ADEME and EDF reported energy savings equivalent to the annual energy use of 800,000 households.
Should we continue to observe daylight saving time?
With the use of low-energy light bulbs and ambient street lighting, adopting daylight saving as a means to save energy is becoming less relevant.
In 2018, many European citizens, including high numbers of Germans, opted by consultation to end the current clock change arrangements. The European Commission subsequently proposed to stop changing the clocks back to winter time that same year. Given the complexity of the different time zones, this decision has been postponed to 2021 while all member states reach agreement on whether to remain on winter time or summer time. Although some countries, such as Argentina and Egypt, have already stopped changing the clocks back and forth, the decision to scrap daylight saving is not a government priority for most. It will be a few years before we know what decision EU member states make regarding daylight saving time and energy savings.
Do Bodet Time clocks change between summer time and winter time automatically?
All Bodet clocks change the time automatically, either using a master clock or an internal clock. Time synchronisation guarantees a reliable, accurate time display and saves the cost of having clocks reset manually.
So you need never reset your clocks again – they do it by themselves.