Does Daylight Saving Time Actually Save Energy?
MEDFORD, Mass.—The reason we “spring forward” each year for daylight saving time (DST) has more to do with what we spend on summer fun than with lowering our consumption of energy, according to an article from Tufts University. The article cites research contrary to a study by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Some studies report small reductions in electricity use, but the most comprehensive study of household energy demand and many others report an increase in overall energy consumption ranging from 1% to 4% during DST, says Michael Downing, a Tufts lecturer in English and author of Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time. “The barbeque grill and charcoal industries say they gain $200 million in sales with an extra month of daylight saving—and they were among the biggest lobbies in favor of extending DST from six to seven months in 1986,” he said. He also cited the gasoline and retail industries as other benefactors of increased activity, and energy use, during DST. He added that the reduced cost of indoor lighting on sunny spring and summer days is offset by higher air-conditioning costs at offices, factories and shopping malls.