On the last Sunday of the month of October, as usual, the time change takes place in Spain. This year, the winter time change It is in the early morning that it goes from Saturday 26 to Sunday 27 October 2024when at 03:00 a.m., it will be 02:00 a.m. again, that is, the clocks are turned back one hour, so that day will have 25 hours, instead of 24 hours.
By making this winter time change, everyone will notice that it begins to get dark much earlier in the afternoons, while, in the mornings, it will dawn an hour earlier. For example, at this time of the month, in Madrid it is getting dark around 7:20 p.m. The next Sunday, October 27, it will get dark at 6:17 p.m.according to data provided by the National Geographic Institute (IGN).
What is this for? Well, since the time change was implemented, the objective is adjust workday and lifestyle to sunlight hours to, in this way, save energy, that is, reduce the use of electricity and, in turn, save money and contribute to the environment.
Is energy saved with the time change?
From Gana Energía, an electricity and natural gas marketer, they have offered an assessment on whether or not this energy and money saving thanks to the time change is real: “This adjustment aims to adapt the population’s activity schedule to the cycle of sunlight, and thus reduce the need to use artificial lighting during the morning and early afternoon hours,” they explain.
However, this argument has been questioned for some years now. Today, electricity consumption is more related to factors such as heating, the use of electronic devices and lighting in general, which could have diminished the benefits in terms of savings from the time change.
During the winter, the use of electricity and gas in many cases tends to increase as shorter days and colder weather drive the use of lighting and heating. Although the time change is designed to optimize consumption, its effectiveness is subject to demand and the country’s energy system.
How much do you really save?
Regarding energy savings, the latest data from the Institute for Energy Diversification and Savings (IDAE) is from 2015. Then, they estimated that the time change represents a saving of 5% in electricity consumption. This would represent around 300 million euros in Spain.
The idea behind the time change is that, by adapting to solar schedules, we can reduce the demand for electricity during peak hours. In the words of Ricardo Margalejo, co-founder and head of energy purchasing at Gana Energía, “the time change is still a valid measure to try to optimize energy consumption, but its impact has decreased in recent years. Today, “Technological advances in energy efficiency and the consumption patterns of each home have reduced the weight of this measure in energy consumption.”
The electricity bill during winter
Although the time change brings a small reduction in global energy consumption, It is not significant when compared to other factors. that influence the electricity bill during the winter, such as electricity market prices, the demand for gas for heating or consumption habits.
As the days get shorter and temperatures drop, homes and businesses tend to use more electricity and natural gas. The need for lighting increases, as does the use of appliances that run longer as you spend more hours at home. Besides, Increased heating demand can skyrocket electricity bills and consumer gas.
The time change alone has a limited impact on the electricity bill
The time change alone has a limited impact on your electricity bill. In reality, changes in habits and increased demand for heating play a more important role in increasing these costs. It is worth remembering that The months from November to February are usually those with the highest electricity consumption in Spanish homes, especially in areas with colder climates.
“Historically, higher energy demand and lower solar energy production typically brings a spike in the price of electricity during the winter. It will have to be the rain and the wind that bring the price down“, comments Margalejo regarding what can be expected from the price of electricity in the remainder of 2024.
For this reason, Gana Energía remembers the importance of putting into practice efficient consumption habits and taking advantage of this time of year to review electricity and gas bills and detect possible extra costs and price updates when renewing the contract. These elements usually increase energy bills throughout the year.
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