Don't forget to change the clocks this Sunday

Research has found that if Britain moves the clocks forward one hour, so that it is GMT+1 and GMT+2, which is the equivalent to the rest of Europe, it could help the economy both from a financial and safety point of view.

Marc Claverau, managing director at Bodet, a specialist in time, has been looking into how a move to Single Double Summer Time (SDST) could affect our lives.

He explains, ‘Many people say that the time change affects their lives very little so do not see the point in the change but, with the current economic uncertainty the move to SDST could potentially reduce energy demand and cut fuel bills.’

David Cameron has expressed his interest in the SDST change when he spoke at a tourism industry event earlier this year but he explained that the change would only go ahead if those in Scotland also agreed.

People in Scotland may be reluctant to the SDST change as it would mean that the sun would not rise until 10am on some mornings.

However, this is heavily outweighed by the economical and financial benefits that all of Britain would see if the change occurred.

A study, carried out by the National Grid, found that up to 885GWhs of electricity could be saved with the SDST change, which of course, would then be reflected in households having lower electricity bills.

The change would also benefit people from a safety point of view, as it would get darker later. The could then result in less collisions on the road caused by lack of light, potentially saving the NHS up to £138m a year.

Never the less the SDST change is currently only in the talking stages, so until the STST change actually happens, Marc Claverau gives his tips on how to manage the change from GMT to BST:

1. Make a list of all of the clocks in your house so that you don’t forget any.
2. Change all of your clocks systematically so that you don’t forget any.
3. Remember the phrase ‘Spring forward, fall back’ to avoid adjusting the clocks the wrong way.

By Lauren King