Why We Have Daylight Savings Time Change

Although history will show us an assortment of reasons based on the issues of the day, the biggest consistent reason is that Daylight Saving Time saves energy. The theory is that we use less electricity because we are home fewer hours during the longer days of spring and summer. This assumes that most people will be outdoors during the extra daylight hours. Since the sun sets one hour later during Daylight Saving Time, it therefore reduces the period between sunset and bedtime by one hour. So in theory, this means that less electricity would be used for light and appliance usage late in the day.

Other justifications, based on studies by the U.S. Department of Transportation, determined that Daylight Saving Time saves lives and prevents traffic injuries. Their contention was that this allows more people to travel home from work and school in daylight hours, which they feel is safer than traveling in darkness. Also, people can complete more errands during daylight hours; thereby reducing exposure to various crimes, which are more common in the darkness, i.e. helps reduce crime.

Brief summarized history of DST

• Benjamin Franklin first suggested this concept in an essay titled An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light, in 1784.
• Over a century later in 1907, an Englishman, William Willett, brought the idea up again in a pamphlet called The Waste of Daylight.
• In 1918 in an effort to conserve resources for the war effort during WWI, the U.S. Congress placed the country in Daylight Saving Time. However, due to its unpopularity, it was later repealed.
• Daylight Saving Time was reinstated on February 9, 1942, when America went to war again. This remained in effect year-round until September 30, 1945.
• There was no law in place for observing Daylight Saving Time until 1966 when congress passed the Uniform Time Act of 1966. However, States could pass a law indicating that they wanted to be exempt from Daylight Savings Time.
• Between 1966 and 1986 there have been some slight changes, due to The 1973 Arab Oil Embargo. In 1986 President Reagan signed Public Law 99-359 changing Daylight Saving Time from the last Sunday in April to the first Sunday in April. There was no change made to the ending date of the last Sunday in October.
• President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 in August of that year. This changed the time change dates for Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. The Secretary of Energy will report the impact of this change to Congress and Congress retains the right to revert the Daylight Saving Time back to the 2005 time schedule when this study is complete.

When is Daylight Savings Time

Daylight Savings Time begins and ends at 2 a.m. every year. Below is a summary of when we spring forward and fall back each year.

Daylight Savings Time 2006
Begins: April 2
Ends: October 29

Daylight Savings Time 2007
Begins: March 11
Ends: November 4

Daylight Savings Time 2008
Begins: March 9
Ends: November 2

Daylight Savings Time 2009
Begins: March 8
Ends: November 1

Daylight Savings Time 2010
Begins: March 14
Ends: November 7

Daylight Savings Time 2011
Begins: March 13
Ends: November 6

Daylight Savings Time 2012
Begins: March 11
Ends: November 4

Daylight Savings Time 2013
Begins: March 10
Ends: November 3

Daylight Savings Time 2014
Begins: March 9
Ends: November 2

Daylight Savings Time 2015
Begins: March 8
Ends: November 1

Daylight Savings Time 2007 Date Change

In 2007 the Daylight Savings Time will begin in March instead of April. The exact time and dates of the change are below: DST Begins 2 a.m. March 11th (Second Sunday in March) DST Ends 2 a.m. November 4th (First Sunday in November)