Why do the clocks go back? What British Summer Time is for and when it ends in the UK

AS AUTUMN settles over the UK, households across the nation prepare for the annual ritual of turning the clocks back by one hour. British Summer Time (BST) is the UK’s daylight saving period. British Summer Time shifts the nation’s clocks one hour ahead to make better use of evening daylight Credit: Getty Internet-connected devices and gadgets will change automatically overnight, but ‘offline’ clocks and appliances will need to be adjusted by hand Credit: Getty Running from late March to late October, it shifts the nation’s clocks one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to make better use of evening daylight. By shifting an hour of daylight from early morning to late afternoon and evening (as we did at the end of March), BST allows us to enjoy brighter, longer summer nights. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The switch back to GMT brings darker afternoons and evenings – but it also hands everyone a coveted extra hour in bed. Why do we change the clocks? The concept of daylight saving time in Britain was championed by builder William Willett – who also happens to be the great-great-grandfather of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. In 1907, while on an early horseback ride in Kent, Willett noticed that most houses still had their blinds drawn despite the sun being high in the sky. Frustrated by the wasted daylight, he published a pamphlet – titled The Waste of Daylight. Although Willett spent years lobbying Parliament to change the clocks, he died in 1915 without seeing his idea realised. The UK government officially introduced daylight saving during the First World War under the Summer Time Act 1916. Most read in The Sun The goal was to conserve coal supplies by reducing electricity and gas consumption for domestic lighting during wartime. Germany had implemented a similar measure just weeks prior. Today, extra evening light boosts local tourism, encourages outdoor recreation, and cuts evening road accidents by improving commuter visibility. But shorter afternoons and earlier evenings can feel bleak, and the sudden sleep disruption can temporarily upset body clocks and natural circadian rhythms. Calls to scrap the bi-annual clock shift pop up almost every year. In Britain, geography complicates the debate, as keeping BST year-round would mean lighter winter evenings in London, but parts of northern Scotland wouldn’t see sunrise until almost 10am. For now, the government has no plans to abandon the current system. When do the clocks go back in 2026? In 2026, BST officially ends on Sunday, 25 October at 2am. At that moment, time rewinds by one hour to 1am, shifting the country off British Summer Time and back onto Greenwich Mean Time. Most internet-connected gadgets like mobile phones, tablets, smartwatches, computers, and connected TVs should update automatically overnight. But offline devices such as analogue wall clocks, microwave displays, car dashboards, and traditional alarm clocks will need a manual tweak. If you ever forget which direction to turn your clock hands, remember the golden rule: “Spring forward, fall back.” Looking ahead, BST will return on Sunday, 28 March 2027, when the clocks move forward by one hour. Comment now