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Daylight Saving Time Starts Sunday, But Is It A Waste Of Our Time & Energy?

By Chris Spears

DENVER (CBS4) - It's that time of year! You'll need to set your clocks ahead by 1-hour before going to bed Saturday night.

Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 13.

The practice of moving our clocks forward each spring has a long history in the United States. In fact Benjamin Franklin is credited with developing the idea in the late 1700s.

But the U.S. didn't officially begin daylight saving time until World War I.

During the war days it was beneficial to make better use of daylight for things like farming and manufacturing.

But daylight saving time was also designed for Americans to save energy.

So does it help?

Or is the effort to change all of our clocks forward by 1-hour just a waste of our personal time and energy.

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(credit: CBS4/Colorado's Weather Center)

The reviews are mixed but a few recent studies show there isn't much of a benefit since energy consumption habits have changed drastically over the past 100 years.

Our homes are now filled with dozens of electronic devices that consume a lot of energy. And most have air conditioners that work overtime on the longer and warmest days of spring and summer.

Another factor to consider when looking at this issue is the use of solar power which is becoming more and more common.

How do you feel about daylight saving? Is the practice dated?

Should we just keep our clocks the same all year long?

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(credit: Chris Spears)

Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather and climate in Colorado. Check out his bio, connect with him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.

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