Daylight Savings Time 2009 Fall Back: A Change Brings Confusion

Daylight Savings Time 2009 is Confusing, as EU Falls Back Today and US Falls Back November 1

Meg G.
Daylight Savings Time 2009 fall back is November 1. Daylight Savings Time begins at 0200, but Daylight Savings Time 2009 fall back is confusing for many.

The European Union experienced a Daylight Savings Time fall back today - October 25. In the past, the Daylight Savings Time fall back took place on the last Sunday in October. Now, Daylight Savings Time takes place on the first Sunday in November.

Daylight Savings Time has an interesting past. A big reason that countries like Daylight Savings Time is because it helps conserve energy by keeping daylight stretched longer.

The Daylight Savings Time fall back period is actually a return back to Standard Time. In March, people have to "spring forward", losing an hour. When "spring forward" takes place, daylight is stretched longer and the use of artificial lights is unwarranted.

During WWI, Germany was the first country to use Daylight Savings Time. America eventually started using Daylight Savings time in order to save fuel for the war efforts. After the war, Daylight Savings Time was repealed. Throughout the world, inconsistent use of Daylight Savings time created problems, and even caused a train wreck in France.

The Oil Embargo in 1973 raised the popularity of Daylight Savings Time. The period was extended all year long, and saved the US nearly 3 million barrels of oil each month. After the Oil Embargo was over, Daylight Savings Time reverted back to 6 months a year, then increased to 7 months a year in 1986.

In 2007, Daylight Savings Time was extended once more. Now, the Daylight Savings Time is extended 3 or 4 weeks in the spring and 1 week in the fall.

Extending the Daylight Savings Time fall back causes a lot of confusion, especially when other countries still have Daylight Savings Time fall back set for this week.

Missing Daylight Savings Time fall back could cause you to show up early for events. Be sure to set your clocks back 1 hour by 0200 on November 1st. Better yet, set your clocks back an hour before you go to bed on October 31, so the clock is accurate when you wake up.

Again, Daylight Savings Time fall back is November 1 - the first Sunday in November. It starts at 0200.

The term "Daylight Savings Time" is actually slang. The "proper" term is "Daylight Saving Time", although the proper term is not widely used.

Sources:

Seize the Daylight: http://www.seizethedaylight.com/dst/

LALATE: http://news.lalate.com/2009/10/25/daylight-savings-time-2009-fall-back/

Published by Meg G.

Meg G. is a financial professional. During her previous life, she ran a contracting business with her husband. Now, she likes to share late breaking news, financial advice, and do-it-yourself tips with her d...   View profile

8 Comments

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  • Citizen X 11/1/2009

    Conners makes a good point we dont save energy anymore based on this, and it actually has cost us alot more in adjusting certain software, and hardware to conform to it, this is why I stick to Zulu time, all the time.

  • Brian Connors 10/25/2009

    Actually DST DOES NOT save energy. Acording to a study in a state , part of which observed DST and part which did not, (I think it was michigan or Indiana) The part that did not observe DST in the past and finally converted to its use saw a gross energy use INCREASE over using only standard time year round. Can't remember the name of the study but it was from a well respected university and DEFINITELY confirms the assertations over the decades (with cold facts) that saving energy with DST is a MYTH!

  • poopi crapo 10/25/2009

    i think ....

  • Craig Armstrong 10/25/2009

    Hey I know! Lets just adjust the time according to the sunset! Just think, instead of midnight and afternoon we have sunrise and sunset! The clock industry would have lots of jobs and be great for the world economy!!!Yes we can!

  • Craig Armstrong 10/25/2009

    It seems that either it gets more confusing every year or people are just getting dumber.

  • ChrisS 10/25/2009

    DST has always been a joke. There have been many studies to indicate that the offset in energy is destroyed by other factors. Accidents skyrocket for one example. Ben Franklin had some fantastic ideas but DST, in the modern age, is not one of them.

  • Mark Beckam 10/25/2009

    You really shouldn't use the term "stretched longer" because the time of daylight isn't actually extending at all. It's just moving forward.

  • Gary 10/25/2009

    Why not just fall back 1/2 hour and leave it that way. No more messing with the time!

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