Daylight Savings Time to continue in the UK despite limited benefits

On Sunday, March 26, the UK will move to British summer time, with clocks going forward by an hour to 2 am. The tradition, known as daylight savings time, is intended to offer more daylight in the evenings, but less in the mornings. The practice is supported by many Britons who enjoy the lighter evenings, but opposed by those who dislike losing an hour’s sleep or have early-morning jobs. Clocks will move back again on October 29, giving people the chance to repeat an hour of their lives.

The UK’s use of daylight savings time stems from the Summer Time Act 1916, established over 100 years ago during World War I to conserve fuel. Despite its history, there is little appetite in the country to abandon the practice, even though there is limited evidence it saves energy or boosts the economy. A 2010 parliamentary report examined the possibility of permanently moving an hour ahead and concluded that while energy use could decrease with extended daylight in summer, the impact would likely be small and there was not enough evidence to support or refute the concept.

While some US states and European countries have recently considered abandoning daylight savings time, it appears the UK will continue the practice. Most electronic devices automatically adjust to the new time, although people may still struggle to adjust the clocks on some appliances.


FAQs

1. Where else is DST practiced?
   Paraguay, Chile, Cuba, New Zealand, Haiti, Levant and parts of Australia.
2. Who came up with DST?
   George Hudson