Daylight saving time a bust

[Paul2]

Study: Daylight Saving Time actually raises utility bills

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, three years after DST went into effect, 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.

Link

[GmanJoe]

I hate DST.

I hate having to be in bed by sunset coz of DST. Anyone who has to get up at 5AM has to sleep earlier than those who wake up at 6 or 7.

Leave the time alone. I\'d only like DST if it was in the winter.

[Titan]

I don\'t think its the fact that its because of daylight savings time but rather its summer. If daylight savings time was done in the winter, you wouldn\'t be using air conditioners

[Paul2]

but what about using heaters in the winter?

[GmanJoe]

I don\'t think its the fact that its because of daylight savings time but rather its summer. If daylight savings time was done in the winter, you wouldn\'t be using air conditioners

The point is, Indiana use to NOT entirely participate in the DST until last year\'s DST. Now that is has, it has spent $8.6 million more in utility bills than before.

[videoholic]

Isn\'t Indiana part of Canada?

[Evi]

I\'m in Arizona, so we don\'t adjust to DST. Our time stays the same. But when I move back to California, I too will suffer the retardedness that is DST.

[Titan]

but what about using heaters in the winter?

Most people use natural gas. That sucks too. My roommates and I spend so much on natural gas we barely have the heater on anymore.

So does only part of the country actually have daylight savings time? That is really weird and confusing.

An extra hour of daylight just sucks.

Then again, you\'re talking to someone who dislikes the sun in general. I prefer a nice winter /  rain mix at all times.

[clips]

I actually like the fact that around 8:00 pm in the summertime it\'s still daylight out....it\'s great for cookouts, get togethers, hangin out by the shore,.. etc....in the wintertime,..well at least on the east coast it\'s already dark by 5pm, and it starts getting dark by 4pm,..now that sucks....

I prefer the rain mostly when i come in from work after workin\' nights,..a good rain shower will put me to sleep quick...i also prefer it at night and on lazy sundays.

[videoholic]

I actually think you people are crazy.  I wish they would get rid of regular time and keep it an hour ahead.  I am with clips in that it is great to be able to come home and play catch with my son, ride my bike, etc...

[Titan]

I actually think you people are crazy.  I wish they would get rid of regular time and keep it an hour ahead.  I am with clips in that it is great to be able to come home and play catch with my son, ride my bike, etc...

Agreed. I also don\'t understand why we put it back to standard time. Screw standard time. Clocks should be an hour ahead all year round.

Screw that shit.
I wish it\'d get sunlight around 9 am, go dark at around 4 pm.

If I could have it my way it would be sunny from 6am-8pm, but thats just me.

[GmanJoe]

Arizona is laughing at the other lower 47 States.