When Do Clocks Go Back In October 2017?

An extra hour in bed all round!
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A blessed extra hour in bed for all of us will materialise at the end of this month as the clocks change.

The clocks will go back an hour on Sunday 29 October, putting the UK on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

While that means more sleep all round, it also means its no longer going to be pitch black in the mornings when we wake up - double plus!

Smartphones will change automatically during the night, along with other digital appliances and gadgets like television set-top boxes and DAB radios. Your PC or laptop will also likely adjust on its own.

If you’re doing business internationally, it would be wise check if there is a similar time change in the other location (or if it has already occurred).

When will the clocks change again?

They will go forward on 25 March 2018, heralding the start of British Summer Time (BST). During BST (sometimes called Daylight Saving Time) there is more daylight in the evenings and less in the mornings.

Why do the clocks change?

Debate over the effects of turning the clocks back (and forth) has been a British pastime for more than a century, when the first Daylight Saving Bill was brought before the House of Commons.

During the Second World War the Government moved the clocks forward one hour to help munitions factories maximise productivity and allow people to get home safely before the blackout.

Between 1968 and 1971 the Government carried out the same experiment but was forced to end it after complaints in Scotland and northern England.

Plans have also been mooted to move to Central European Time - something that would mean lighter winter evenings, which supporters claim would cut road deaths, boost tourism and reduce energy use.

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