Did you remember to set clocks back 1 hour?
Daylight Savings Time ends week later this year in effort to reduce energy consumption
It's time once again to reset the clocks and savor an extra hour of slumber as daylight saving time comes to an end a week later than usual.
Daylight saving time ended Sunday at 2 a.m.
Because of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, daylight saving time started three weeks early and ends a week later this year as part of a federally-mandated effort to reduce energy consumption.
The effort may be in vain according to some.
The new time change schedule has thrown people off and even computers have needed help, with many automatically switching back a Sunday too early.
During the March time change Microsoft worked to mitigate confusion and problems by issuing a patch and adding automatic updates.
"Thanks to the efforts put forth by many information technology heroes who were instrumental in minimizing impact and confusion during the first DST transition in March, there was marginal impact," according to a statement issued by Microsoft. "However, we continue to work closely with customers and others in the industry to help ensure a smooth and seamless transition worldwide this fall on Nov. 4th."
"The majority of customers who applied patches earlier this year and who have Automatic Updates enabled are in good shape," Microsoft advised.
A website has been setup to help Microsoft customers with the new daylight saving time schedule, which can be found at:
http://www.microsoft.com/time.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. spokesman Brian Swanson said the energy company can expect to save 1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity daily across its central and northern California system during the extra week of daylight saving time. The average daily usage for the system is 200 million kilowatt-hours, a savings of about one-half percent.
"The energy savings we see in the evening are offset because customers are using more energy in the morning as they get ready for school and work," Swanson said.
To further help save energy this winter, PG&E recommends people install motion sensor lighting, clean and inspect gas furnaces, install programmable thermostats and light timers.
Ryan Kellogg, a Ph.D. student and researcher at University of California, Berkeley's Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, said that a study he co-authored on energy consumption in Australia in 2000 shows little difference in electricity use between two neighboring states, only one of which adopted daylight saving time.
The 2005 policy, Kellogg said, is based on energy use patterns in the U.S. during the oil crisis of the early 1970s, when a recession and other conservation efforts may have contributed to a drop in electricity use.
"This really doesn't make a difference," Kellogg said about the extended daylight saving time and energy conservation. "I'm pretty skeptical there's going to be a benefit. Microsoft has had to issue patches, these things cost money. This is something we should stop tinkering with."
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