can homeowners experience Daylight Savings Time energy savings? Daylight Savings Time begins this weekend. Daylight savings time was either instituted to give farmers more daylight working hours or to conserve electricity by requiring less artificial light during the day.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 focuses on the second possibility. The law shifted the start of Daylight Saving Time to the second Sunday in March, rather than the first Sunday in April. The law also extended Daylight Savings Time through the first Sunday in November, rather than the last Sunday in October. The shift first occurred in 2007, with the goal of saving energy by allowing people to take advantage of additional daylight in the evening hours.

A 2008 Department of Energy report found that American electricity use was decreased by 0.5% for each day of the extended Daylight Saving Time, resulting in a savings of 0.03% for the year as a whole. The savings are small in percentage terms, but added up to 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours. This is enough to power about 122,000 average U.S. homes for a year.

What can you do to maximize Daylight Savings Time energy savings? Here are three suggestions:

1. Automate your heating and cooling systems. According to Energy Star, 42 percent of all household energy dollars are spent on heating and cooling. Making your HVAC unit more efficient saves money. Early spring is a good time to schedule a tune-up. A programmable thermostat can help you better manage your HVAC system. The Department of Energy estimates that you can save up to ten percent each year in energy costs if you adjust your house temperature by 7-10 degrees while you are away from home.

2. Increase electricity efficiency. Increasing your home’s electricity efficiency reduces your energy costs. Switching from incandescent light bulbs to LEDs saves energy without compromising light quality. LED lights can save you anywhere from $150 to $180 in energy costs over their lifetimes, according to Consumer Reports.

3. Consider updating appliances and your water heater. These items have become much more efficient in recent years and you may be eligible for a rebate from your electric utility.

You will lose an hour of sleep with the change to Daylight Savings Time. With a little planning, Daylight Savings Time energy savings may be possible, even if you’d prefer to save the hour of sleep. Remember to set your clocks ahead by one hour this evening before going to bed.

Contact us to discuss ways in which Kennedy, Kennedy, Robbins & Yarbro, LC can assist you with a rural utility issue.