Uncertain Savings From
Daylight Saving Time!
by Corinne Giles
(San Francisco, California, USA)
Daylight Saving Time or DST has always been a controversial topic amongst consumers and businesses with some even believing it is an unnecessary hindrance!.
This practice is supposedly an inconvenience considering that people are given an additional hour to sleep during October and an hour less during April.
The skeptics are very wary about the habit of moving forward, falling back, losing one hour and gaining one hour. Many continually question the continuous changes done on the clock and weigh the benefits of Daylight Saving Time.
The use of the Daylight Savings Time has now spanned for severa decades but the concept behind its uses is rather simple.
In the hotter months, the sun is up for a longer part of the day. Obviously, people will lessen their use of electric lights, as the sun will be up more despite the time already heading towards the evening.
Energy is conserved resulting from the decreased time in using electric lights. The economic benefits of Daylight Saving Time has always been highlighted by its supporters considering that businesses will be able to operate for a longer period resulting in added income that is also partly generated by lower costs on electricity.
Businesses that have normally benefitted from Daylight Saving Time include garden fitters, tennis clubs, golf courses and any establishment that can use the additional hours of sunlight.
This also translates in decreased utility costs for consumers, as the house lights will likely not come on until it becomes obviously too dark.
However, many are against Daylight Saving Time, as it supposedly requires increased effort of human energy. In addition, there is no guarantee that Daylight Saving Time can result in lower energy consumption.
Consumers are supposedly increasing their use of air conditioning during Daylight Savings Time and this becomes bad when a household uses an worn down air conditioner considering that such models aren't as efficient as the new ones.
Some countries have reported adverse effects of Daylight Saving Time, with Australia reporting in 2000 that morning pickup load had jumped, while energy consumption didn't slip.
In addition, Daylight Saving Time was a major factor in the 1% increase of gasoline consumption in March this year, as drivers were encouraged to spend more time on the roads to take advantage of more daylight.
To generate the most savings in utilities during Daylight Savings Time, try to determine the latest part of the day when the lights should be turned on. This will enable you to maximize the advantage of Daylight Savings Time without it being an inconvenience to your household.
Back to Make Your Home Energy Efficient HOME PAGE
About Us | Contact Us|Privacy Policy | Our Energy Blog |Site Map|About Our Site|Our Online Shop|Share Our Site|Build A Website