Does daylight savings time really save energy?

The second Sunday in March marks the beginning of daylight savings time 2011. Five years have gone by since Congress moved to extend daylight savings time. Before 2007, daylight savings time begin on the first Sunday in April. Since the Energy Policy Act of 2005 required the extension of daylight savings time, a definitive answer as far as whether it has saved energy has not yet been found. Post resource – Daylight savings time 2011 not likely to save energy in the U.S. by MoneyBlogNewz.

Daylight saving time coming up means one less hour in the day

Everywhere in the U.S., excluding both Hawaii and Arizona, can be moving their clocks forward an hour on March thirteen at 2 a.m. for daylight conserving time 2011. Saving energy has been the rationale for daylight saving time since it was first implemented by Germany in WW1 to save coal. In theory, stretching daylight hours with daylight saving time saves energy by reducing the need for electric lighting. Several compare daylight saving time to cutting off an end of a rope and adding it to another end by manipulating clocks. Many are confused about daylight conserving time. It might help retail and outdoor recreation but farming and entertainment hate this change annually.

What power saving advantages really work?

The period of daylight saving time was extended by four weeks in 2005 with the Energy Policy Act that promoted conserving energy. There was a change to the Uniform Time Act of 1966. On March 11, 2007, the first "spring forward" started. Authors of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 claimed that stretching daylight conserving time would add up to a total power savings in the U.S. of up to 1 percent. There was a study done in Indiana with the daylight savings time change. There was actually a decrease in energy saved. Converting the entire state to daylight saving time cost Indiana households an extra $8.6 million in utility bills due to higher heating costs in the morning and higher air conditioning costs in the afternoon.

Pros and cons to Daylight Saving time there

Due to sleep deprivation, there is really a rise in heart attacks during the first week of daylight savings even though it may not conserve power. Fatal car crashes and automobile collisions with pedestrians end up going down because of daylight saving time though.

Articles cited

U.S. News and World Report

health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/sleep/articles/2009/03/03/13-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-daylight-saving-time

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120406767043794825.html

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Policy_Act_of_2005