British summer time begins when the clocks go forward every March.
The date of change of clocks is different every year, here we tell when BST started in 2022.
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The clocks always move in the springCredit: Getty – Contributor
When did the clocks move forward in 2022?
Every year in the UK our clocks run on the last Sunday of March.
The clocks were changed at 1 a.m. on March 27, 2022, to mark the start of British Summer Time (BST), moving forward one hour to 2 a.m.
During BST, there is more daylight in the evening and less in the morning, this is known as daylight saving time.
When the clocks go back, we enter Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT.
The clocks always go back one hour on the last Sunday of October, with the 2022 date set as October 30.
The UK sees the clock turning twice a year.
Will my phone update automatically?
Yes – if you have an iPhone the time will change automatically if you have the “Date and Time” options set to “Automatically”.
iPhone users don’t have to worry about their alarm going off an hour late.
If it’s set to 8 AM, it will turn off at 8 AM, if your time is set to update automatically.
For all other smartphones, if your phone has automatic updates set up, network operators should change the time accordingly.
However if you are still using a regular keypad brick-style mobile, you may need to change your date and time manually.
Your phone will automatically adjustCredit: Alamy
Why do clocks change twice a year?
The clocks are changed to make better use of daylight.
But when the clocks go back in October, there is more daylight in the morning – and less in the evening.
When converted to British Summer Time, we cover one hour in daylight from dawn to dusk.
There is an easy phrase to remember that helps avoid confusion – “spring forward, fall back”.
Why was the time change introduced?
British Summer Time came into existence with the Summer Time Act which was passed by Parliament in 1916.
Germany was the first country to adopt the plan on April 30, 1916, and Britain followed on May 21, during the height of World War I.
The campaign that led to the creation of BST and Daylight Saving Time (DST), was started by William Willett in 1907 to prevent people from wasting valuable hours of light in the summer months.
By setting the clocks back in winter, Britons get earlier sunrises and earlier sunsets.
In summer, the sun rises and sets after an hour without daylight saving time.
In a pamphlet entitled The West of Daylight, Willett suggested that the clocks should be stepped forward by 80 minutes in four steps in April, and reversed the same way in September.
Proponents at the time of the proposal argued that the scheme would save energy by reducing domestic coal consumption.
He also said it would increase the supplies available to make up for the heavy manufacturing costs of the war effort.
It has been in force since then, despite criticism from some groups.
The Sun Explains: Why Do We Change the Clock Twice a Year?
