Move clocks, save energy

Studies show that we trim electricity usage by about one percent each day with Daylight Saving Time.

Spring forward starting in 2007, Daylight Saving Time is extended one month and begins for most of the United States at:

2 a.m. this Sunday, March 11.

The 'fall back' will be at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November.

On Wednesday, March 14, you can attend a free workshop at Cornell Cooperative Extension, 9-11 a.m., on SAVE ENERGY, SAVE DOLLARS; call to register, 331.8415.

The new start and stop dates were set in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. On of the biggest reasons we change our clocks to Daylight Saving Time (DST) is that it saves energy. Energy use and the demand for electricity for lighting our homes are directly connected to when we go to bed and when we get up. Bedtime for most of us is late evening through the year. When we go to bed, we turn off the lights and TV. In the average home, 25 percent of all the electricity we use is for lighting and small appliances, such as TVs, VCRs and stereos.

A good percentage of energy consumed by lighting and appliances occurs in the evening when families are home. By moving the clock ahead one hour, we can cut the amount of electricity we consume each day.

Remember to change the battery in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when you change the clocks. In addition, why not replace one or two of your most-used incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs? You'll save even more money.

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