Why do the clocks go back TONIGHT? Here’s why we change the clock every year
BRITONS will be treated to an extra hour in bed on Sunday morning as the clocks turn back an hour. But why do we change the clocks twice a year?
The UK will move back onto Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) overnight, after spending the past seven months on British Summer Time (BST), also known as Daylight Savings Time.
Why do we turn the clocks back?
Britain first adopted British Summer Time during the First World War in order to save fuel by reducing the need for artificial light.
The idea was originally thought up by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, though it was not formally introduced in the UK for another 132 years.
In 1907, William Willett, a builder and great-great-grandfather to Coldplay’s Chris Martin, campaigned for the clocks to be turned back in a leaflet entitled ‘The Waste of Daylight’.
The policy eventually came into effect in 1916 in a bid to save candles and coal during World War One, though Germany had already adopted the idea.
Some people have argued that it is time to abandon GMT and adopt an year-long British Summer Time.
Studies suggest that this would save about 100 lives per year because the evenings would be lighter, thus helping prevent car accidents.
On the other hand, getting rid of GMT would delay sunrise until about 10am in Scotland during the darkest winter months.
What time do the clocks go back?
Britain’s clocks are traditionally wound back on the last Sunday in October and turned forward on the last Sunday in March.
This year, the clocks will go back at 2am on Sunday October 29, 2017, giving Brits an extra hour’s sleep.
However, the move also heralds the start of darker evenings.
When do the clocks go back in the US?
The clocks go back an hour at 2am on Sunday November 5, signalling the end of Daylight Saving Time in America.
Do mobile phones change time automatically?
Phones, tablets and other internet-enabled devices should roll back automatically at 2am, though it is good to double-check when you wake up in case you end up an hour early for your Sunday plans.
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