Daylight Saving Time Is Supposed to Save Energy--Does It? The Answer Is Mixed.

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latisse generic of AL 10:41AM April 15, 2010

As usual, the American/Canadian public is fed a crock'o'bull about "saving energy" -- well, I don't buy it. Neither do over half of the world's nations that tried DST on for size, and then ditched it. And bumping up the scam another three weeks -- well, what that's doing for productivity, you don't need a PhD from Harvard to figure out. DST as a cost-saving measure is yet another lie brought to us courtesy of the oil and energy interests otherwise known as our government.

Charlotte Creamer 8:09AM March 09, 2009

If daylight savings was truly saving energy, I'd say do it all year.
But the very little energy savings and the very huge body adjustment problem make it a waste of time. I lived in AZ for 30 years with no DST. It was easy. I am a teacher in CO, and I observe the Kinder kids losing a lot of their academic growth adjusting to DST.
What good is it? None that I can see.

Jay Bee of CO 6:24PM March 08, 2009

In the year 2012, incandescent bulbs will no longer be sold. Lighting use will be a much smaller part of the equation (and as homeowners and businesses are voluntarily switching to compact fluorescents and LEDs to save energy costs, the share of energy used for lighting should already be diminishing.) It's time to take a good hard second look at daylight savings time. If we are saving energy primarily through use of less lighting, but using more for heating and cooling, will the demise of the incandescent bulb tip the scale?

Lorna Irwin of ID 12:54PM March 08, 2009

I read a webpage that had information indicating that 2.9 million gallons of oil were saved from the extension of daylight saving time. I find that figure a little hard to believe. It's my gut feeling that 2.9 million gallons seems an overly high estimate.I just have my doubts. Congress should change the spring time change to the last Sunday in March. This will not harm the environment or the economy or the general public. Assuming Europe does not extend their daylight saving time period of observance, we would be better coordinated with Europe in terms of communication,transportation and commerce. I hope this change is made hopefully in the not-so-distant future.

Randall S. Kovar of NY 9:51PM March 07, 2009

Well, here we go again. Another clock shift. And back to Dec-Jan morning darkness.
The DOT report from the autumn shows no significant benefit, period. Another study shows an increase in energy use for the mornings, when delayed into Nov., or used in March. The Golf industry wanted this? Really? The candy industry for Halloween pushed this through? Really? Check your facts carefully! Those two congressmen, Markey and Upton, wanted them. And attached it to the 2005 Energy Bill.
The Bill does allow Congress to revert the dates back to their original 1987-06 values. I'd favor it to the 2nd weekend of May to the last Sunday in September. Or, have the country re-align the time zone boundaries, such as in Michigan, Indiana, Utah,
and also go to half hour zones. In another words, EST becomes UTC -5.5 hours, CST -6.5 hours, MST -7.5 hours, PST -8.5 hours. Permanently. Then, long enough daylight for both the evening lovers in the summer and winter, and morning daylight that is useful but not coming so late that we have post 8am sunrises. That's why Michigan, Indiana and other select states should be on the proper time zone to begin with.
But something needs to be done. Alaska and southern states don't need DST any time.

S4B of NY 2:10PM March 07, 2009

Only the bureaucracy known as the Federal Government could cook up something as absurd as Daylight Saving Time. If you are crazy enough to get up an hour earlier, find a job with flextime, or a job with an early early starting time, and leave the rest of us alone.
Incidentally, the recent extension of DST was brought about largely by intense lobbying from the golf industry, a multi billion dollar special interest group.

Mark Smith of OH 9:48PM March 06, 2009

... just do that. You don't need to change your clock to achieve that end. If it happens to save you a couple of pennies on your power bills, so much the better.
Forcing the whole country to change back and forth, then compounding the problem by changing the rules so the millions of devices that still have the old rules hard-coded in silicon will be off by an hour for several weeks each year, is swatting at a fly with a sledgehammer. Leave the clocks alone, and just let the citizens reset their alarms to meet their needs.

Alexander of OR 3:18PM March 06, 2009

DST should be permanently eliminated. The toll it takes on the body is not worth it. Productivity decreases, the immune system is weakened and attitudes are worse. The cost of increased illness well outweighs any energy savings. Sorry Ben (Franklin), but its time to can this bad idea.

Soren DeKiester of AK 11:23AM March 06, 2009

DST is completely a waste of time and a drain on the emotional, physical and mental health of all who are forced into this outmoded system. I've lived where it isn't used and it is soooo much easier to function. Most Americans these days get up way earlier to commute and stay up way later anyway. Why the bother? And GWB just extended it to try and look like he was doing SOMETHING useful. This joke of a time-saver (time-waster) needs to go AWAY! How much energy is expended jsut changing the clocks back and forth? And how much energy is wasted by sleepy workers and missed appointments? I HATE DST. I'd move back to AZ if I could, just to get away from it.

Raja of NM 7:10AM March 06, 2009