As we start a new month we will all, thankfully, soon be waking up to much lighter mornings as the daylight saving hours begin.
It comes as our clocks moved forward by an hour soon later in March as we welcome the arrival of spring. There may still be a chill in the air, but as the warmer months edge closer everyone around the UK will switch their clocks to daylight saving time, with the time springing one hour ahead before falling sixty minutes back again in October.
So when does this happen and why? Here is what you need to know.
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When do the clocks spring forward?
Daylight Saving Time begins on March 26 of this year. This date falls on a Sunday, with the change set to happen at 1am if you live in the UK.
| Year | Clocks go forward | Clocks go back |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 27 March | 30 October |
| 2023 | 26 March | 29 October |
| 2024 | 31 March | 27 October |
| 2025 | 30 March | 26 October |
Why do the clocks go forward by an hour?
Clocks are always changed in the last week of March to mark the beginning of British Summer Time (BST), otherwise referred to as Daylight Saving Time.
It was first designed to help the population, and season-dependent farmers, maximise sunlight throughout the year. The change came into force back in 1916 through the Summer Time Act after a petition by British builder William Willet.
And as it turns out, this man is the great-great-grandfather of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.
It was believed the change would help save energy by reducing the amount of coal households consume and the act was passed during the First World War when resources were stretched thin.
Royal Museums Greenwich explain: "William Willett - an early promoter of British Summer Time and great-great-grandfather of Coldplay singer Chris Martin - published a pamphlet in 1907 titled 'The Waste of Daylight', which suggested changing the clocks in the spring and putting them back in the autumn. However, Willett's proposal was complicated, involving advancing the clocks by 80 minutes. in four separate moves of 20 minutes each."
Will I lose or gain an hour in bed?
Unfortunately, the spring forward means that we lose an hour in bed. An easy way to remember which way the clocks change is to think ‘Spring forward' and 'fall back'. So you will be missing out on some shut-eye at the end of the month - but the lighter days make up for it.
Whilst your smartphone and smartwatch will automatically update, just remember to change the clocks in your house!
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