At 2 a.m. on March 11, groggy Americans will turn their clocks forward one hour, marking the beginning of Daylight Saving Time (DST).

Make sure to Spring Forward on time next week, as Daylight Saving Time is arriving 4 weeks earlier than last year.
- When you go to sleep on Saturday, March 10 set your clocks forward 1 hour
- When you wake up on Sunday, March 11 Daylight Savings will be here.

Your computer’s internal clock will also need to be adjusted because most have been programmed for older DST dates. Fixing this minor glitch is as easy as downloading an automatic fix. Point your browsers to the sight that corresponds with your operationg system and quickly download the appropriate software patches.
- Microsoft users: www.microsoft.com/dst2007 and
- Mac users: www.apple.com/support/downloads

The change come due to the 2005 Energy Bill that was first introduced by Representative Edward Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Representative Fred Upton (R-MI) to save energy. An analysis of the Upton-Markey Daylight Saving Time amendment by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) found that by 2020, the amendment would cumulatively: save consumers $4.4 billion dollars, avoid the need to build more than 3 large (330 megawatt) electric power plants, avoid consumption of 279 billion cubic feet of natural gas, and avoid nearly 10.8 million metric tons of the carbon emissions that lead to Global Warming.  This is because people consume less electricity in the evening if it’s still light, and that cuts peak demand during the early evening hours. 

“In addition to the benefits of energy saving, less crime, fewer traffic fatalities, more recreation time and increased economic activity, day light saving just brings a smile to everybody’s faces,” said Rep. Markey.

The Upton-Markey amendment is supported by studies which show that early daylight saving time and longer days decrease the number of fatal traffic accidents, reduce crime rates, and provide relief for individuals suffering from “night blindness.” A broad coalition of groups including organizations like the Alliance to Save Energy, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, the National Association of Convenience Stores and the Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation Fighting Blindness, and an array of small businesses which support American pastimes, from barbecue to baseball to boating support the legislation to extend daylight saving.