As most of us know, Daylight Saving Time (not “Savings”, who knew!) is this Sunday at 2am local time. At this time, the clock will fall back one hour, giving us one extra hour of sleep. The United States, in all states except Hawaii and Arizona, observe this time change. However, why was it enacted?
According to Energy.gov, DST was created to save an hour of energy. In 2007, the Energy Policy Act changed the length of DST and added four extra weeks, extending it into November. This seemingly small change produces a seeming small percentage drop in energy use – 0.03% to be exact. But this change is enough to save “1.3 billion kilowatt-hours, enough to power about 122,000 average U.S. homes for a year,” according to a study done by the US Department of Energy.
It may seem like a small amount, but saving any amount of energy is a start! The US Department of Energy website provides energy-saving calculators for trips, home energy and water heater savings.
Turning off lights when rooms are unattended and unplugging power-strips when away are other easy ways to save energy in your home.
Abbey Dufoe 