When does daylight saving time start in 2024? When do the clocks change this year?
The US is one of several dozen countries that observes daylight saving time. However, the time change doesn’t take place at the same time everywhere.
Most Americans will be taking part in a twice-yearly ritual soon, switching their clocks over to daylight saving time. Roughly 70 countries change the hour two times a year, once forward and then backward, in principle to take better advantage of the number of hours that the sun is in the sky above. But when they do varies from region to region.
In the United States, daylight saving time (DST) will begin at 2 a.m. local time on the second Sunday of March, which this year will be 10 March. At that time, clocks are moved forward by one hour, so that 2 a.m. becomes 3 a.m. This means that people effectively lose one hour of sleep that night.
In the European Union, the time change won’t occur until Sunday 31 March.
Clocks move forward to save energy
The purpose of DST is to extend daylight hours into the evening during the summer months in order to reduce the amount of energy used for lighting and heating. By moving the clocks forward by one hour, people are able to enjoy more sunlight in the evenings, which can be beneficial for activities such as outdoor recreation and retail sales.
DST ends at 2 a.m. local time on the first Sunday of November (this year will be 3 November in the US but 27 October in the EU). At that time, clocks are moved back by one hour, so that 2 a.m. becomes 1 a.m. This means that people effectively gain one hour of sleep that night.
Does everywhere in the US observe daylight saving time?
It’s important to note that not all states and territories in the United States observe DST. Arizona (except for the Navajo Nation), Hawaii, and some territories such as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa do not participate in DST. Additionally, some states have considered legislation to stop observing DST or to stay on DST permanently, rather than switching back and forth twice a year.
Legislation has been reintroduced in the Senate to permanently end the practice through the Sunshine Protection Act, which would end Daylight Saving Time. The bill was previously passed by the Senate through an expedited process and with unanimous consent, however, it was never taken up in the House. Other issues of the day took priority at the time, putting the Sunshine Protection Act on the back burner for now.
The Sunshine Protection Act proposes to make Daylight Saving Time the new, permanent standard time. Several US states are keen to end DST and want permanent daylight time - the 19 states are: Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.