UK clocks go back as scientists debate whether to end the twice-yearly change
British Summer Time ended on Sunday 25 October, prompting the Daily Mail to report scientists' calls to scrap clock changes, while two Conversation articles say the evidence on energy savings and mood effects is inconclusive.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 1At 2.00am on Sunday 25 October, Britain put its clocks back an hour, ending British Summer Time and starting another five months of Greenwich Mean Time. Daily MailR “At 2.00am this morning, Britain wound back the clocks and dragged the country into another five months of Greenwich Mean Time.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Right · 1The Daily Mail reported that experts are joining a growing call for the UK to stop changing the clocks. It quoted Professor Jagdish Khubchandani of New Mexico State University as saying he is 'of the general view that DST should be abolished', and Professor Andrey Rzhetsky of the University of Chicago as saying it should be abolished on health grounds. Daily MailR “Professor Jagdish Khubchandani, of New Mexico State University, told the Daily Mail that he is 'of the general view that DST should be abolished'.”“Professor Rzhetsky adds: 'From my perspective, it should be [abolished] based on health effects that we looked at.'” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Right · 1The Mail cited research linking clock changes to heart attacks, strokes and mental health problems. It also cited a University of Kent review of 157 studies from 36 countries, which found that 'spring forward' was associated with more heart attacks and fatal traffic accidents but less crime involving physical harm. In autumn, all-cause mortality and workplace accidents appeared to fall, while crimes involving physical harm rose. Daily MailR “A team from the University of Kent recently reviewed 157 studies from 36 countries that had analysed the effects of clock changes.”“Scientists have found that setting the clocks back in autumn leads to an increased rate of heart attacks, strokes, and a surge of mental health problems” Read at Daily Mail ↗
Right · 1Professor Simon Durrant, president of the British Sleep Society, advised going to bed a little later the night before the change and getting up at the usual clock time, which he said lets the body adjust within two or three days. Daily MailR “The easiest way to achieve this is to go to bed a little later on the night before the clock change, and then get up at the same clock time (e.g. 8am) that you normally would.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Right · 1The Mail said about a third of countries now observe daylight saving time. It listed places that have dropped it in the past decade, including Turkey, Russia, Iran and most of Mexico, and said Morocco reversed its permanent summer time in September. Daily MailR “Today, only about a third of countries worldwide currently observe the practice, with the remaining 139 nations all keeping one time zone all year round.”“In the last 10 years alone, Azerbaijan, Iran, Jordan, Namibia, Russia, Samoa, Syria, Turkey, Uruguay and most of Mexico have all ended the practice.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Right · 1Britain first adopted daylight saving in 1916 during the First World War to save fuel used for lighting. A 1968–71 experiment with all-year summer time was abandoned after complaints about dark winter mornings, particularly in northern Scotland. Daily MailR “Britain first introduced DST in 1916, during the height of the First World War, to save fuel used for lighting by making the most of the long summer evenings.”“However, the experiment was abandoned after complaints about cold, dark winter mornings, particularly in the north of Scotland.” Read at Daily Mail ↗
Left · 1In The Conversation, Nottingham Trent University's Prof Amin Al-Habaibeh argued that LED bulbs have weakened the original energy-saving case for changing clocks. An LED giving the light of a 100-watt incandescent bulb uses about 13.5 watts, a saving of around 86%. Lighting is now about 4% of UK household electricity use. The ConversationLC “An LED bulb producing the same amount of light as a 100-watt incandescent bulb (about 1,520 lumens) would use just 13.5 watts – an electricity saving of around 86%.”“Today, it accounts for about 4% of household electricity consumption in the UK, or about 1% of overall household energy use” Read at The Conversation ↗ Left · 1He added that whether the clock change saves energy remains uncertain. A 2026 House of Commons Library report found the effects on energy demand inconclusive, and a 2018 review of 44 studies found average savings of about 0.34%. Lighting savings are likely to be offset by changes in heating and cooling demand. The ConversationLC “A 2026 House of Commons Library report found that the effects of clock changes on energy demand are inconclusive.”“A study from 2018 that combined 162 estimates from 44 studies found average energy savings of about 0.34% during daylight saving time.” Read at The Conversation ↗ Left · 1The European Parliament voted in 2019 to abolish the twice-yearly change, but implementation has stalled because EU countries have not agreed whether to keep permanent summer or winter time. The ConversationLC “The European Parliament voted in 2019 to abolish the twice-yearly clock change, although implementation has stalled because EU countries have not agreed whether to keep permanent summer or winter time.” Read at The Conversation ↗
Left · 1A second Conversation piece, by Oxford's Laurence Wainwright, said the clock change does not reduce daylight but shifts an hour of it from evening to morning. It said the evidence on whether the autumn change worsens mood is mixed: a Danish study found more hospital contacts for depression, while a 2025 English study found fewer depression-related health events in the following week. The ConversationLC “The clock change, which also happens in many other countries, doesn’t reduce daylight. It shifts an hour of it from evening to morning.”“A Danish study reported more hospital contacts for depression following the autumn change. However, a 2025 study in England found fewer recorded depression-related health events in the following week.” Read at The Conversation ↗ Left · 1That article said about 3% of the UK population experience seasonal affective disorder. It pointed to NHS advice to get outside in daylight, exercise and keep consistent sleep times, and urged people with persistent symptoms to see a GP. The ConversationLC “For around 3% of the UK population, winter brings a form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD).”“The NHS recommends getting outside during daylight, exercising regularly and keeping consistent sleeping and waking times.” Read at The Conversation ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Two explanatory pieces by academics in The Conversation, published the day after the change. One asks whether LEDs have removed the energy rationale; the other explains how darker days affect sleep and mood.
- Emphasis
- Uncertainty and caveats: energy savings are small and inconclusive, and studies of mood after the change point in different directions. Practical advice for coping with winter.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither piece reports scientists calling for the UK to abolish clock changes, nor the international comparison of countries that have dropped daylight saving.
- For example
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“Whether that makes daylight saving unnecessary depends on the wider effects of changing our clocks – and the evidence on those effects remains inconclusive.” — The Conversation
“Does turning the clocks back make matters worse? The evidence is mixed.” — The Conversation
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- The Daily Mail leads on the clock change and a 'growing chorus' of experts urging Britain to follow countries that have dropped daylight saving, with TikTok reactions as colour.
- Emphasis
- Expert quotes favouring abolition, health risks such as heart attacks, strokes and mental health problems, and a list of countries that have abandoned the practice.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives little space to the inconclusive energy evidence or to studies finding no harm or fewer depression events after the autumn change. It does note the Kent review's mixed results.
- Charged language
- “growing chorus”“mini jet-lag”“dragged the country”
- For example
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“Now, experts are joining a growing chorus of calls for Britain to join them.” — Daily Mail
“Britons are not happy about having the clocks go back this weekend, and experts agree that the practice should be abolished” — Daily Mail
What every side reports
- UK clocks went back an hour on Sunday 25 October, ending British Summer Time.
- The UK first adopted summer time in 1916, during the First World War, to save energy.
- Whether changing the clocks causes health harms or saves energy is debated in the research.
Where accounts differ
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Whether the evidence supports ending clock changes
- Left
- The Conversation authors say the evidence on energy savings and on mood effects is inconclusive or mixed, and that this does not by itself settle whether to abandon the change.
- Right
- The Daily Mail says experts agree the practice 'should be abolished' and presents health research on heart attacks, strokes and mental health as the case against it.
Daylight saving time topic
Daily Mail sources, mostly academics, favour abolishing clock changes on health grounds. The Conversation authors say the energy case has weakened and the mood evidence is mixed, without calling for abolition.
“Professor Jagdish Khubchandani, of New Mexico State University, told the Daily Mail that he is 'of the general view that DST should be abolished'.” — Daily Mail
“But the available research does not offer a simple calculation of how much energy the UK or similar countries would save or use if the system was abandoned.” — The Conversation
Left2 articles
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Tired, irritable and craving carbs? Why darker days affect our bodies and brains
Neutral Cautious academic explainer on seasonal mood and sleep that stresses mixed evidence on the clock change itself and offers practical advice.
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Daylight saving was meant to save energy. Do we still need it in the age of LEDs?
Neutral Academic analysis questioning the energy rationale for clock changes in the LED era while stressing that the net effect remains uncertain.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
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Mixed Light, explainer-style piece that backs the case for abolition with expert quotes and health research and a global roundup of countries that dropped daylight saving.
- 25 Oct 10:34 First Daily MailR Has the time come to stop changing the clocks? All the countries that do not observe Daylight Saving Time - as scientists call for the UK to follow suit
- 26 Oct 15:01 +28h 27m The ConversationLC Tired, irritable and craving carbs? Why darker days affect our bodies and brains
- 26 Oct 15:09 +28h 35m The ConversationLC Daylight saving was meant to save energy. Do we still need it in the age of LEDs?
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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