As the days start to get lighter, many people are looking forward to the start of British Summer Time, when the clocks move forward an hour to give us longer evenings
We’ve all been enjoying the brighter mornings on our commute to work over the past few weeks.
But as we bid farewell to a long, cold winter and welcome spring, many are starting to wonder when the next significant seasonal shift will take place – the clocks going forward and the start of British Summer Time (BST).
Although we’ll technically lose an hour of sleep, the evenings will become even lighter from later this month as we leap an hour ahead into longer, sunnier days. But why do we adjust the clocks every autumn and spring?
And when will they change this year? Here’s everything you need to know about BST.
What exactly is British Summer Time?
BST, also known as Daylight Saving Time, is when the clocks move forward in the spring and backward in the autumn. This adjustment was initially designed to help people and farmers maximise sunlight throughout the year and began during World War I when resources were scarce.
In 1916, Germany became the first country to formally adopt daylight saving time to conserve fuel during the First World War. The UK and several other European countries followed suit a few weeks later, and daylight savings soon became standard practice, with the US joining in 1918.
The concept of British Summer Time was first introduced by the Summer Time Act 1916, following a campaign by builder William Willett. His initial proposal was to advance the clocks by 80 minutes, in 20-minute weekly increments on Sundays in April and reversed in September.
Despite no longer being in wartime, the government has no plans to alter the rules of British Summer Time, reports the Daily Record.
Why does British Summer Time change annually?
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) always starts on the last Sunday in October, when the clocks are set back one hour at 2am. This system continues until British Summer Time, which always begins on the last Sunday in March, when clocks are moved forward at 1am.
Since the clocks always change on a Sunday, the actual date of the shift varies each year.
When does British Summer Time start this year?
In 2025, British Summer Time will commence on March 30 at 1am and conclude on October 26 at 2am.
