Saving time or wasting energy? Studies on DST

Whether you're aware of it or not, Daylight Savings Time (DST) began yesterday, springing clocks forward and forcing millions of commuters to lose an hour of sleep. But does the time change actually save energy? A new study out of Indiana, U.S.A, offers evidence to the contrary.

As of 2006, 77 of the state of Indiana's 92 counties were legally allowed to stay on standard time throughout the year, instead of adhering to DST. Farmers, as most employed people, were reluctant to work an extra hour in the morning. Caffeine and cattle -- not a fun way to wake up.

However, it quickly became difficult for people to travel in state, between counties, let alone out of state, to do business. "Does 9-5 mean their time, or mine? 'Out to lunch?' It's lunch time already!?" So, seven years ago, the state government passed legislation to coincide with DST. This gave professor Matthew Kotchen from the University of California-Santa Barbara, and one of his Ph.D. students, Laura Grant, an idea --

Taking millions of readings every month from the Duke Energy Corporation, one of Indiana's largest energy providers, Kotchen and Grant were able to compare consumption data from the counties forced to switch to DST. Their study was conducted over a period of three years, and the pair sampled nearly every household in the southern-half of Indiana.

What did they find?

Keeping the state on DST was costing Indiana tax-payers an additional $8.6 million every year! Kotchen theorized that higher air-conditioning costs on hot afternoons off-set reduced lighting during the day. "I've never had a paper with such a clear and unambiguous finding as this," said Mr. Kotchen, who presented his findings to the National Bureau of Economic Research.

This isn't exactly what Ben Franklin had in mind when, on a trip to France in 1784, he suggested enforcing a tax on window shutters and firing canons at sunrise to force people to wake up earlier than they were accustomed. In what would become a precursor to DST, Franklin noted that "the city of Paris might save every year, by the economy of using sunshine instead of candles."

During World Wars I and II, the U.S. government relied on DST as an energy-saving measure, as citizens banded together to save money to donate towards the effort overseas. DST became part of Americana. A symbol of sacrifice. It was extended in 1974, and then again in 1975 in response to an oil shortage. (Imagine that -- an oil shortage) The Department of Transportation analyzed data from that period, and in a report filed in 1975, concluded that DST cut down on energy consumption by only 1% during the months of March and April. A second report, filed a year later, reduced that percentage -- and found no change whatsoever.

When politicians are weighing their choices on energy policy, they often cite outdated research from the 70s, or worse -- they look back to good ol' Ben Franklin's days, when things like Air Conditioners, Tivo, and the Internet didn't exist. People's consumption habits have changed. We can't look to the past for answers. We have to scrutinize the present while listening to the whisper of the future in the back of our minds.

"What can I do about it?" you ask.

Well, besides writing your state Representative and demanding the befuddled U.S. Congress come to an agreement on ANYTHING, the little things always go a long way. During DST's cooler months, fight the temptation to turn that thermostat way up. Are you using more than one light? Try opening the blinds instead. Don't blast the air-conditioner, creating new Arctic conditions in your living room. Turn on a fan. Or better -- open a window.

Energy bills have skyrocketed since the 70s, and it's no wonder why, when politicians are thinking in terms of 8-track tapes. There are more people on this planet, fighting for every watt of power. NRGLab's SH-box, which generates clean electricity from crystal technology, may very well bring energy costs down to the point where we can say: "Who cares about DST? Let's not fight. Let's crank up the AC!"