Study: Daylight Saving Time actually raises utility bills

Fri Feb 29, 2008 2:06PM EST

See Comments (2000)

It's official: Daylight Saving Time is a bust. Designed (and recently extended) as a measure to save energy in a period of inflated electricity prices, an in-depth University of California study has now shown that DST doesn't save anyone any money at all. In fact, it's costing consumers extra, to the tune of $3.19 in extra utility bills per year.

The study was made possible because of the peculiarities of the state of Indiana, which was only partially on DST until 2006. When the whole state finally went DST (to sync with the national business day), some comparisons vs. the prior method were made apparent. The study calculated that the shift costs Indiana residents an extra $8.6 million in electricity bills in total.

Why? Shouldn't they be, well, saving daylight -- and burning fewer light bulbs?

They are, said the study. But while lighting bills were reduced, air-conditioning units had to run more often, because people were home on hot afternoons when they'd otherwise be still at the office. Heaters had to be run on cool mornings, too, when people got up and it was still dark outside.

Professor Matthew Kotchen, who pioneered the study, noted, "I've never had a paper with such a clear and unambiguous finding as this."

This isn't the first time the energy-saving rationale of Daylight Saving Time has been attacked. The first was in 1976, when the National Bureau of Standards found that there was no significant energy savings after the switch. The recent expansion of DST to a few extra weeks was also revealed to have saved no energy during its run. And yet here we are...

In related news, it was also revealed that Daylight Saving Time actually creates no additional daylight.

Comments on Study: Daylight Saving Time actually raises utility bills

Post a Comment

Join in the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.

  • 67 Posted by joanfsrd on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:37PM EDT Report Abuse

    I don't care about the impact of DST on utility bills. I like it because it improves my mood to have more sunlight in the afternoon and evening.

  • 68 Posted by tbailey_fw on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:57PM EDT Report Abuse

    I say the US should not even observe DLST. The state of AZ does not.

  • 69 Posted by wwv2ski@att.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have always HATED DST it made no sense and I always felt tired

  • 71 Posted by ke5dfr@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    I go to wok in the dark with ot without DST. I'd prefer to stay on DST year around and at least it will not be dark when I get home. K

  • 72 Posted by hunterdon1@att.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    I thought the reasoning behind DST was to give people more daylight at night to spend more money at the golf courses and such. For some of the people who wrote above, there is still only so much daylight in a day, daylight savings time does not add an extra hour of daylight.

  • 73 Posted by 2patty2@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    Did they take into condsideration that Indiana had unusually long spells hot weather last summer? Did they allow for an increased number of houses each year?

  • 74 Posted by kerrycindy1@att.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    Whobama? You mean President McCain? I like the sound of that. Dear President McCain, please make em pick one or the other and let us quit messin' around with our sleep. Thank you, Kerry

  • 75 Posted by mschneller37 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    I applaud DST for taking the time for the study; it would be a good idea for others to conduct similar studies and present their cases to Washington. I don't think that we need to put the blame entirely on the government, I feel that big business, banks, utility companies can all share equally as a contrubuting factor. If our legislative bodies can come to some form of agreement that it would be more cost effective to do away with day light savings, then this may help just a small portion of our concern with the "energy crisis."

  • 76 Posted by ahs1972@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    An extra $3.19 in extra utility bills a year? Wowie... that's sure gonna break my budget! Sounds like normal inflation rates to me.

  • 77 Posted by jnfailey@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:37PM EDT Report Abuse

    I get so sick of hearing all the stupid comments. Can't adjust to a 1 hour clock change--have you ever traveled to another time zone? Get over it. Energy savings? Who cares the result is still so small that it could be a statistical error. Daylight Saving Time is great. The new 3 week earlier/1 week later shift that the Democrats pushed through Congress is so idiotic. Go back to DST the way it used to be before the 2007 law.

  • 78 Posted by slpattorney@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    You don't get an extra hour of daylight. You have the same number of hours of daylight in the day. The effect of daylight saving time is the same as if you took a blanket and cut an inch off of the top and sewed it back on the bottom. This is the same crazy kind of thinking that caused daylight saving time. We are not saving any daylight. It was wrong in 1973 and it is wrong now.

  • 79 Posted by fiddle04@att.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    your nuts. Iread the same report and it even said that it was not sure of the report. get facts right

  • 80 Posted by powerstobe1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    I feel a direct savings in utility bills is not necessary - safty factor takes a first place to me. Also, additional rebates by state and federal for purchase of new bulbs, appliances to enduce people to get rid of the old heavy electric use items.

  • 81 Posted by mellowhispers53@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:15PM EDT Report Abuse

    Please put Indiana back to where it was before the daylight savings time was put into affect.The set back messed lots of things up..as well as raised the bills.

  • 82 Posted by dianacjackson@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    What difference does it make when you run the A/C or heat? Warmth or coolness does not know what time it is. How many people turn the A/C or heat up or down when they leave the house? The manufacturer recommends that you set the thermostat on degree and leave it there. My mother, for example, thinks that unless the heat is on 75 degrees, it is not heated adequately in the house whether she is there or not. We haven't reached the summer yet so I'm interested as to where she will want the thermostat set. This has nothing to do with the hour of the day either. I believe, like some, that it is a study (feather) to put in their political hat.

  • 85 Posted by debndick@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    I agree with mongy99. I would rather see the sunrise on my way to work, than drive home in the dark. Extra daylight allows me to play with the kids outside, and take the dogs for longer walks in the evening. We all enjoy the sunset by the barbeque, together. It's win win for me.

More Posts: First Prev … 3 4 5 6 7 … Next Last

Post a Comment

Sign In to Post a Comment

My Tech

Please enable your browser's cookies to activate the My Tech column.

Also on Yahoo! Tech

Computers Home Office Wi-Fi & Networking Phones & PDAs Cameras & Camcorders TV & Home Theater Portable Audio
 

Site Map | Tour | Subscribe to Yahoo! Tech

Question and Answer content at Yahoo! Tech is written by Yahoo! users at Yahoo! Answers. Yahoo! does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any Yahoo! Answers content. For more information, read the Full Disclaimer.

Opinions expressed by the Advisors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Yahoo! Inc. Yahoo! receives no compensation from any manufacturer or distributor nor does it compensate any Advisor for the coverage of any product or service in any Advisor's content.