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Daylight Savings Time Increases Energy Use In Indiana

Posted by timothy on from the all-change-has-friction dept.

enbody writes "The Freakonomics Blog at NYTimes.com reports on a study of Indiana energy use for daylight savings time showing an increase in energy use of 1%. 'The dataset consists of more than 7 million observations on monthly billing data for the vast majority of households in southern Indiana for three years. Our main finding is that — contrary to the policy's intent — D.S.T. increases residential electricity demand.'" Maybe that's just from millions of coffee makers being pressed into extra duty.

3 of 388 comments (clear)

  1. Same over here by Hasney · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I've gotta say, I'm in England and as soon as the clocks change, my power consumption goes way up. I don't even use heaters where I live so I've never worked out where it's coming from....

    1. Re:Same over here by ACDChook · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I'm in Western Australia, where we've never had daylight saving. The eastern states of Australia have it (New South Wales and Victoria), and keep telling us how good it is. We're on the 3rd year of a 3-year trial now (the 4th such trial since the 70's). Nobody here likes it. It's just too hot in the afternoons in summer to be coming home from work earlier. The temperature in summer here usually peaks at 45-50C for a week or two. Power usage skyrockets here with DST due to increased aircon use. Can't wait to vote it down AGAIN with the referendum next year.

  2. Residential by Gorgonzolanoid · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I think the key phrase is "D.S.T. increases residential electricity demand."

    The company or what/whoever you work for will see a positive effect, at the expense of the consumer. That is exactly what I've always believed DST was meant to do (by those who invented it), in the first place.