The highs and lows of dealing with daylight saving time

Friday, 28 September 2018

That time of year is upon us once again (As published in 2018).

Since 1927 New Zealand has been changing its time to suit the season, but the exact terms have changed a lot in 91 years.

On Sunday, at 2am, our time goes forward one hour so we can all get in the mood for long evenings and barbecues.

Since its introduction, daylight saving time has been chopped and changed and even seen petitions taken to Parliament.

Ross Byers of Byers Jewellers says daylight saving time is a reasonably busy time.

In 1946, New Zealand summer time, 12 hours ahead of GMT, was adopted year-round, effectively ending daylight saving. Then, in 1974, it was trialled again, and reintroduced in 1975.

* Wake me up when daylight saving is over

* Daylight saving: How to cope with those summer nights

* How to get your kids to sleep during daylight saving**

Public attitudes were surveyed in 1985, and the period of daylight saving was extended twice over the next few years.

The current dates were set in 2007, after public debate and a petition being presented to Parliament.

The time change brings on a busy period for jewellers too, Ross Byers, from Byers' Jewellers on New Plymouth's Devon St, said.

'I get lots of people coming in to have their watches changed,' he said.

'Some people don't want to do it and I think some people don't know how to do it.'

He said they did put forward most of their clocks and watches in the store, but not all at one go.

He also had a lot of battery changes to do around daylight saving time, he said.

'For some reason if the watches are dying it just finishes them off by changing the time.'

So here, ladies and gents, are the top five highs and lows of the annual time change.

Reasons we love daylight saving:

1. You can actually have a life after work.

Far gone are the days when you're walking back to the car in the dark and going home to a cold house. Now, you can get home, eat, do the dishes and still have a couple of hours to go for a walk, to the beach, go fishing… oh the possibilities.

2. That sense of summer.

Who doesn't love the long twilights and warm evenings and the cricket on as the sun is going down; even going for a swim after work? (If you swear you are one of those winter people, you are in denial.)

3. Barbecue season.

Even the most enthusiastic barbecuer struggles to get in the groove when it's pitch black (and probably raining) by 5.30. But now there are hours of light to get out the tongs and the marinade and get all the neighbours round for steak and sausages and beer.

4. The car clock will once again tell the right time.

They're too darned complicated to change at the best of times, so we just wait until the cycle comes around again and the car will once again tell the correct time.

5. It's almost Christmas.

We're on the runaway train now folks - you've missed the last stop in Grinchville.

Reasons we hate daylight saving:

1. The kids won't go to bed.

'But it's still light, and I can't fall asleep when it's still light, and how come Johnny gets to stay up later and I don't?'

2. We can't believe it's 4 o'clock already.

This goes on for most hours of the day for at least the first week. Usually longer.

3. Missing lunch.

No wonder I'm starving, it's 1.30 already. Even though last week it was only 12.30.

4. Glare on the TV.

The sun only seems to be just the right angle to block out half the screen when the sun is out for longer. Maybe it's a subliminal hint to go outside.

5. The car clock will once again tell the wrong time.

Nevermind, we'll just wait till it corrects itself in six months.

And one more thing - it's Daylight Saving Time, not 'savings'.