Spring Forward and Fall Back but why do we change the clocks twice a year?

If you’ve ever wondered why you suddenly lose or gain an hour of sleep every few months, you’re not alone. Twice a year, we switch between Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and British Summer Time (BST), and it’s all down to something called Daylight Saving Time.

🌼 Spring Forward

Every year on the last Sunday in March, the clocks jump forward one hour at 1 am. That’s when we move into British Summer Time BST which means longer, lighter evenings. It feels great at first: suddenly it’s bright till nearly 9 or 10 pm, and everyone starts talking about BBQs, pub gardens, and evening walks.

The downside? You lose an hour of sleep that weekend, but at least it feels like summer is coming!

🍂 Fall Back

Every year on the last Sunday in October, we move the clocks back an hour at 2 am, returning to Greenwich Mean Time GMT. That means it’s lighter when you wake up (a small mercy during the dark winter months), but evenings start closing in fast. By November, it’s dark by 4:30 pm, and everyone’s suddenly craving hot chocolate and fairy lights.

The downside? Not really, you get an extra hour of sleep!

💡 Where It All Came From

The idea of changing the clocks isn’t new, it was first conceived by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 on his trip to Paris in an essay titled “An Economical Project” proposing that people could save on candle costs by getting up earlier to make better use of daylight. 

Benjamin Franklin

But the idea didn’t really take off until 1907, and along came William Willett, while out riding his horse in Petts Wood in Kent early one summer morning and noticed how many blinds were still down, the idea of daylight saving came to him, and he wrote a pamphlet "The Waste of Daylight"  

  William Willet,    The pamphlet

It wasn’t until the war started that it was pushed to the fore as a means to save coal under the Defence of the Realm Act, it finally passed in the UK on 17^th May 1016. Sadly, William Willett did not see the fruits of his efforts come to light, as he died from influenza in 1915 at the age of 58.

🕒 Daylight Saving Time — For and Against

Every spring we move the clocks forward an hour, and every autumn we move them back. But is it still worth the hassle?

🌞 For

• More daylight: Longer, lighter evenings for outdoor time and socialising.

• Energy savings: Originally meant to cut electricity use (though this is debated now).

• Safety: Fewer road accidents and crimes in lighter evenings.

• Economy boost: Shops, pubs, and tourism benefit from extra daylight hours.

🌙 Against

• Sleep disruption: Messes with body clocks and can affect health.

• Minimal energy impact: Modern research shows little to no real savings.

• Inconvenient: Confusing for travel, businesses, and schedules.

• Disruptive for farmers: Animals don’t follow clock changes!

⚖️ The verdict

Some say DST is outdated and causes more trouble than it’s worth. Others love the long summer evenings. For now, the UK is keeping the twice-a-year switch — whether we like it or not!

Did you know we are not the only country to do this?
In fact, more than 70 countries like

Austria    Countrywide    1916    
Bahamas    Countrywide    1942  
Belgium    Countrywide    1916
Cyprus    Countrywide    1975  
Czechia    Countrywide    1916  
Denmark    Countrywide    1916  
Egypt    Countrywide    1940   
Faroe Islands    Countrywide    1981 
Finland    Countrywide    1942   
France    Countrywide    1916   
Germany    Countrywide    1916   
Gibraltar    Countrywide    1916   
Greece    Countrywide    1932  
Greenland    Not in: Danmarkshavn    1980  
Guernsey    Countrywide    1916    
Haiti    Countrywide    1983   
Hungary    Countrywide    1916  
Ireland    Countrywide    1916   
Isle of Man    Countrywide    1916   

and many many more 🌍🗺️

Daylight saving time reminds us that even a little change in the clock can make a big difference — it’s all about how we make the most of our time.