EVERY year the clocks go forward as we enter British Summertime and back again as we prepare the colder, darker winter months.
From when the clocks go back to if you’re going to lose an hour of sleep – here’s everything you need to know.
GettyIn 2023 the clocks go back by one hour on Sunday, October 29[/caption]
When do the clocks go back?
In the UK the clocks go forward one hour at 1am on the last Sunday in March, and back one hour at 2am on the last Sunday in October.
In 2023, the clocks went forward on March 26.
The period when the clocks are 1 hour ahead is called British Summer Time (BST) – there’s more daylight in the evenings and less in the mornings.
When the clocks go back, the UK is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
This autumn, the clocks will go back an hour on Sunday, October 29, 2023, at 2am.
In 2024, the clocks will go forward again by an hour, on Sunday, March 31.
If you find it slightly confusing, one helpful way of remembering which way the clocks will change is – “spring forward, fall back”.
Most digital devices such as smartphones, laptops, and televisions will automatically update the time when the clocks change, but it doesn’t hurt to check.
And it should apply to pretty much any model, whether Apple, Android, or any other.
But, if you have a watch or clock that isn’t digital, don’t forget to check if you need to manually reset the time.
If you have an older style phone, and it is not considered “smart”, then you may also need to update the time manually.
If you do find yourself having to update the time manually – you can find everything you need to know here.
Similarly, you can find four top tips to prepare your home as the clocks go back here.
Do we lose an hour of sleep?
A question many want to know when it comes to the clocks changing is do we lose an hour of sleep?
The good news is, that as we transition from BST to GMT, we will be gaining one hour extra of sleep.
As the clocks go back, 2am will go back to 1am – which means an extra hour in bed as we prepare for the colder months when the sunny skies set earlier and the days get shorter.
Why do the clocks go back?
The reason summer clocks were first moved forward was to conserve energy and boost working hours.
The idea was first suggested by American politician Benjamin Franklin in 1784 but it wasn’t introduced until much later.
In 1907, William Willett – who happens to be Coldplay singer Chris Martin’s great-great-grandfather – published a pamphlet called The Waste of Daylight, campaigning to advance clocks at the beginning of the spring and summer months and to return to GMT in the autumn.
The Government discussed his proposition of changing the clocks, but it wasn’t made law.
The outbreak of the First World War made the issue even more important primarily because of the need to save coal.
Then, nine years later, after tireless campaigning, in 1916 – a year after Willet died – this came into effect in UK law and changed how we experience the passing of seasons.
Germany was the first country to adopt the clock-changing plan in April that year and the UK followed in May.
The Summer Time Act of 1916 was passed by Parliament and the first day of British summer was reported as May 21, 1916.
While Daylight Savings Time is observed in most places in Europe and North America, most places in Africa and Asia don’t observe the practice.
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