Daylight Savings Time explained: What is it and why do the clocks go forward?

"Spring forward, fall back..."

Clocks go forward on Sunday, adding an hour of sunlight to the end of the working day.

Here is a look at why we use Daylight Savings Time.

Evening Standard on socials:

[rlawrence]

This didn't explain it it just described it.

[dougmcburney]

I thought this was originally done when Britain was fighting Germany in the wars ?

[cromwellsghost]

It’s interesting that it mentions it’s about saving energy ect….

There’s no mention of the Second World War and how it was used to increase productivity.

[sandersson]

There is no valid, scientific reason for it anymore.
Should be on BST all year round.

[camerarover]

Just decide on one time or another.
You don’t save any daylight, it’s either darker in the morning or darker at night.
Pointless faffing around of natural forces.

[th.trumpet]

I hope the french have told the criminals/rapists that are being escorted across the channel about the clocks going forward ? They'll need to navigate the tides/currents to make sure they arrive on time for their coach to take them to their warm hotels.

[superchickensoup]

This is like 5 year olds level of education, this is totally shocking

[madplanet]

2026 stops this stupidity from a bygone era. Leave them as they are for summer thereon. People with dare I say it, mental health issues may benefit from getting home from work in winter and see the late sun.

[marklee]

This does not explain the reason for it at all.

[TibisayTorrealba-hr]

I feel like we should stay on British summer time than Greenwich mean time it would be easier if we always had bst imagine how nice it would be if it no longer got dark at 4pm in December would make autumns and winters a bit more bearable

[commandocol]

It amazes me that this is still needs to be explained, every bloody time! 😂

[lellymills]

Outdated practice. The original reasons for doing this no longer apply.

[chisaten]

Daylight Savings Time isn't really that useful. It is proven to interfere with sleep, and really upsets animals to have their schedule changed. I miss living in Arizona, which doesn't do DST at all.

[marialanchester]

I wish they would stop it, leave the ruddy clocks alone. I hate changing my alarm clock, and watch 😅

[keithduce]

A stupid relic left over from the 2nd world war for farming. Farmers work at night now with illuminated vehicles.

[m.bowyer]

The usual British nonsense, stuck in the past.

[taniadim.p.]

This doesn't change anything in the nature. Only prove human madness 😂. It is 🕖 o'clock and my cat always wants to eat at seven, me 😂taking medicine at eight 🕣. How changing clock arms help me at this point?😂

[Marshmallowkitty]

The only thing that bothers me is that for the last three to four years it's happening on Mother's day!

[cilfynnydd]

It's a flex: it reminds voters that the Government can do stupid stuff that will mess up their lives. Grown-up countries don't do this.

[pikachu]

It’s Actually called “Daylight SAVING Time”……The idea of moving the Clocks FOWARD in Spring was to make the EVENINGS longer and lighter by one hour for the Farmers, working and tending the land or their flock…..The way to remember the sequence of when and which way to set your clocks is: “Spring FOWARD….Fall BACK”…..