History · IN60SECONDS

Why do we have daylight saving time?

Not for farmers, who opposed it. Clocks first sprang forward in 1916 to save coal during World War I, and in July 2026 the House voted to make daylight saving time permanent.

Quick Answer

Daylight saving time moves clocks an hour forward in spring so evenings get more daylight. Germany and Austria-Hungary adopted it first, on April 30, 1916, to save coal during World War I, and Britain and the United States soon followed. Contrary to a popular myth, farmers didn’t push for it; many opposed it, because their work runs on the sun, not the clock. U.S. rules have changed repeatedly: Congress repealed the first version in 1919, imposed year-round “War Time” during World War II, standardized the switch in 1966, and lengthened it starting in 2007. In July 2026 the House passed the Sunshine Protection Act to make daylight saving time permanent, but as of September 2026 the Senate hasn’t acted, so clocks are still set to fall back on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

By the Numbers

1916Year the first national daylight saving time began, in wartime Germany

0.5%Electricity saved on each extra day of daylight saving added in 2007, per the U.S. Energy Department; about 0.03% over a whole year

308–117House vote on July 14, 2026, to make daylight saving time permanent; the Senate hasn’t voted

2U.S. states that don’t change their clocks: Hawaii and Arizona

Key Facts

First adopted: Germany and Austria-Hungary, April 30, 1916, to save coal in World War I
For farmers?: No. Many farmers opposed it
U.S. schedule: Second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November, since 2007
Who skips it: Hawaii and most of Arizona (the Navajo Nation observes it)

Timeline

1784
Benjamin Franklin jokes, in a satirical letter, that Parisians could save candles by getting up earlier. He never proposed changing clocks.
1895
New Zealand entomologist George Vernon Hudson proposes a two-hour summer time shift.
1907
London builder William Willett campaigns to move clocks forward in summer.
1916
Germany and Austria-Hungary adopt daylight saving time on April 30 to save coal; Britain follows.
1918–1919
The U.S. adopts it under the Standard Time Act, then repeals it in 1919 over President Wilson’s veto.
1942–1945
Year-round “War Time” during World War II.
1966
The Uniform Time Act standardizes daylight saving time across the U.S.
2007
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 stretches daylight saving time from March to November.
July 2026
The House passes the Sunshine Protection Act, 308–117, to make it permanent; it awaits the Senate.

A wartime fuel saver

The first national daylight saving time was a World War I measure: Germany and Austria-Hungary moved their clocks forward on April 30, 1916, to cut the coal burned for lighting, and Britain quickly followed. The U.S. adopted it in 1918, then repealed it after the war because it proved unpopular.

Does it still save energy?

Barely. When the U.S. added several weeks of daylight saving time in 2007, the Energy Department found electricity use fell about 0.5% on each of those extra days, roughly 0.03% of the country’s electricity over a full year.

The fight over permanent daylight time

Many lawmakers want to stop changing clocks twice a year. In July 2026 the House passed the Sunshine Protection Act, 308–117, to make daylight saving time permanent. The Senate hasn’t voted, and critics warn that permanent daylight time would mean sunrises after 9 a.m. in winter in parts of the country.

Myth vs. Fact

MythDaylight saving time was created for farmers.

FactMany farmers opposed it. Their day runs on sunrise, and the change made getting goods to market harder.

MythBenjamin Franklin invented daylight saving time.

FactHis 1784 letter was satire about getting up earlier. He never proposed moving the clocks.

The Bottom Line

Daylight saving time began as a World War I coal-saving measure, not a favor to farmers, and today it saves very little energy. Congress may yet make it permanent, but until the Senate acts, clocks keep changing twice a year.

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