Save energy by not turning your clocks back in October, says an expert | Energy
Households could save more than £400 a year on energy bills if the clocks don’t turn back at the end of October, according to one expert, who said it would help people with the cost-of-living crisis and reduce pressure on the grid. National this winter. .
Nighttime energy demand peaks between 5 pm and 7 pm during the winter, when the sun has already set after daylight saving time (DST). If the clocks didn’t turn back, it would remain light for at least part of this time, reducing carbon emissions and energy demand.
Professor Aoife Foley, a clean energy expert at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “By simply giving up the October winter time, we save energy because it’s brighter at night during the winter, so we reduce commercial and residential electricity demand. when people leave work. sooner and go home sooner, which means less lighting and heating is needed.”
This would help the government deal with the “energy war” in Europe as a result of the Ukraine invasion, he said. “Depending on weather conditions this winter, it is very likely that we will need to start rationing power very seriously to avoid major power problems in December and January, when gas reserves start to run out,” he said.
Foley’s calculations suggest households could save £1.20 a day and more than £400 a year on electricity bills if the clocks don’t turn back at the end of October, although the exact amounts depend on tariffs.
There has long been a debate over whether to eliminate daylight saving time, which was introduced in 1916 to reduce wartime energy demand by lengthening daylight in summer. It still benefits some farmers, but is less popular with people who would prefer more light at the end of the day in winter, and is thought to cause sleep disturbance. It was originally proposed in 1907 by William Willett, a builder and the great-great-grandfather of Coldplay’s Chris Martin, known for the song Clocks.
The European Parliament voted to scrap the time change in 2019 and a poll showed a majority of EU citizens agreed. But the change has not yet been implemented and no longer applies to the UK after Brexit.
Foley did not include gas or electricity and gas savings in the commercial or industrial sectors in his calculations, but said this would deliver “even more significant energy, cost and emissions reductions,” flattening the overnight spike in energy demand until by 10%. .
Some critics of eliminating daylight saving time are concerned about traffic collisions, but Foley’s research suggested that most road deaths occur in good visibility during the day and outside built-up areas, and generally on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, with speed, fatigue and alcohol the main factors.
There would also be time zone issues between the UK and Ireland, creating two time zones between North and South. Foley suggested this could be remedied if the two governments consulted on an emergency proposal to abolish daylight saving time this year.