The majority of the U.S. moved their clocks back to Daylight Savings Time (DST) on March 14th, and it may be close to our last time losing an hour. On March 15th the Senate passed The Sunshine Protection Act, unanimously pushing the bill forward to the House to end the biannual change of our clocks. So, whether you were one who kept up with the changing times or realized after showing up late to your first meeting, the need to change your clocks may cease to exist.
Background on DST and ST
The daylight savings time (DST) and Standard Time (ST) we know today are not exactly the first biannual change to our watches. In 1966 the Uniform Time Act was the first enacted federally mandated time change. While daylight savings time has been used since 1918 to reduce energy consumption, the biannual change from Daylight Savings Time (March to November) to Standard Time ( November to March) was altered multiple times over the past 30-some years. The time of year to change the clocks has been argued in order to achieve the objective; saving energy. In theory; by utilizing the sun to coincide with workdays we will use more sunlight during the working hours, so more energy is saved, and less money is spent. This was essential in the early 20th century. Before 1925, less than half of all homes in the U.S. held electric power, so the use of candles and gas cost the individual more in cost and emissions than our modern-day light bulbs.
Modern DST and ST
Today, the theory of saving energy has been argued more and more in the past 15 years. Research has shown in Ontario that around 1% of energy was saved using daylight savings time. Comparatively, another group’s research concludes that the use of DST increased energy consumption in Indiana, mostly in the evenings. But beyond the objective, the biannual time change indicated other consequences. On the day of the time change, the rate of fatal car accidents increased up to 30%, and individuals’ mental health was shown to be negatively affected, pushing the argument against DST. Each industry of business holds different opinions on the potential change as well; golf-courses hope to utilize the additional light in the evening while schools worry about kids walking in dark mornings.
After The Change
Theoretically, we will see a small decrease in fatal car accidents, positive impacts on our mental health, and either a 1% increase in energy use or somewhere between 3% – 5% decrease in energy use. Opinions vary. Most states have spoken since 2015 with 30 states introducing legislation opposing the bi-season time change. If the Sunshine Protection Act is to pass, all 50 states will switch their clocks this coming November, the next March, and then keep in DST past our 2023 fall. So in November of 2023, schedule your meetings early; if the Sunshine Protection Act passes you may just make those morning meetings.
