Why is the time changed and what supposed benefits does it have?

On October 27, the time will be changed to 3:00 in the morning (peninsular time). The clocks will go back one hour to 2:00 like every year in order to make the most of natural light during the winter months and reduce energy consumption.

The changes in winter and summer time could disappear in 2026. The Official State Gazette has published the calendar of the next time changes in Spain until that year, which will take place in spring and autumn, always on the last Sunday of each month:

• October 27, 2024: The clocks will go back from 3:00 to 2:00.
• March 30, 2025: The clocks will go forward from 2:00 to 3:00.
• October 26, 2025: The clocks will go back from 3:00 to 2:00.
• March 29, 2026: The clocks will go forward from 2:00 to 3:00.
• October 25, 2026: The clocks will go back from 3:00 to 2:00.

Criticism of winter and summer time has not stopped growing in recent years, not only due to the change it produces in people’s natural cycle, also a supposed false sense of energy savings and the impact on tourism. The European Union could review in 2026 whether to keep the time changes twice a year or eliminate them forever.

80% of people do not want to change the time

Time changes are regulated by European Union Directive 2000/84/EC for all member states. The European Commission has raised the possibility of eliminating them in 2018 and more than 80% of survey participants were in favor.

The time change was born in the First World War to reduce energy consumption and take advantage of daylight, then it reached almost all countries in the world in 1974 during the oil crisis.

The original objective of energy savings has been lost and various studies have questioned its effectiveness today: Consumer habits and the use of technology have changed. The increase in increasingly efficient appliances or LED lighting also influences criticism of the time change.

A investigation carried out by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) in Spain estimates that the energy savings due to the time change is 5% in lighting. This translates into about 300 million euros per year throughout the country. Only 30% of that percentage would be due to lower energy use in the residential sector, the rest are commercial and industrial buildings.

Some people claim that maintaining daylight saving time throughout the year could favor tourism and leisure. This would be especially beneficial for European Union countries with fewer hours of daylight. Others believe that winter time is more in line with the biological rhythm, so the debate is expected to last until 2026.

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