Daylight Saving Time: Are you open?

Leveraging Light for your Business

Are your customers wondering "Are they open?" Your business sign (if lit) will be illuminated earlier in the day thanks to standard time. Knowing if your sign or parking lot lights are working can help your customers find you, know when you're open, and convey a sense of security.

With Daylight Saving Time sending our clocks back an hour to standard time yet again, we now have darker evenings coming before end of business day. This allows business owners and representatives to locate any sign or parking lot light outages, so keep your eyes peeled.

Here's some 'light humor' to the Daylight Saving Time change:

On point? Tell us in the Comments if you think this short video hits the hassle of changing our clocks twice a year.

Why do we change our clocks back?

Some older studies show that Daylight Saving Time (DST) saves electricity. Although more recent studies on Daylight Saving Time proves that it neither decreases nor increases energy consumption.

Regardless of what studies show, in the Pacific Northwest we abide by the DST and have the benefit of being able to see any lit signs for longer in the winter months. CNN.com provides quick and interesting facts about DST here.

Fun Facts

The phrase is "Daylight Saving Time" (singular), not "Daylight Savings Time" (plural).

Beginning in 2007, Daylight Saving Time starts in the United States on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

Timeline

• 1784 - The idea of daylight saving is first conceived by Benjamin Franklin.
  
  
• 1914-1918 - Britain goes on DLS during World War I.
  
  
• March 19, 1918 - The Standard Time Act establishes time zones and daylight savings. Daylight savings is repealed in 1919, but continues to be recognized in certain areas of the U.S.
  
  
• 1945-1966 - There is no federal law regarding Daylight Saving Time.
  
  
• 1966 - The Uniform Time Act of 1966 establishes the system of uniform Daylight Saving Time throughout the U.S. The dates are the last Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October. States can exempt themselves from participation.
  
  
• 1974-1975 - Congress extends DLS in order to save energy during the energy crisis.
  
  
• 1986-2006 - Daylight Saving Time begins on the first Sunday in April and ends on the last Sunday in October.
  
  
• August 8, 2005 - President George W. Bush signs the Energy Policy Act of 2005 into law. Part of the act will extend Daylight Saving Time starting in 2007, from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
  
  
• 2007 - Under the new laws, all of Indiana now observes Daylight Saving Time, where only certain areas of the state did before.

Exceptions in the U.S.

• In the U.S., Hawaii and most of Arizona do not follow DLS.

• The U.S. territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and American Samoa also do not observe DLS.