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The arrival of the good weather brings with it the task of turning off the radiators until well into the autumn, but almost immediately the air conditioning units take their place in the job of climatising the environment. Meanwhile, the increase in daylight hours and the changing of the clocks also reduce the need for artificial light, but how much does this really affect the bills? Let’s take a look. 

Do we save energy when the clocks change?

Changing the clocks in order to make better use of daylight was first implemented in Germany during the First World War. Subsequently, more countries joined this initiative, especially after the oil crisis in the 1970s, and the European Commission currently requires all member states to implement the change between the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October. 

The countries that benefit most are those situated furthest north, since the closer you are to the equator the greater the similarity between the length of days in winter and in summer. However, this measure is not short of critics who compare the discomfort caused by having to change their habits to a minor form of “jet-lag”, and highlight the possible misunderstandings, lack of coordination and particularly, the minimal energy savings. 

Although it is difficult to make estimations, it is thought that changing the clocks represents an electricity saving of between 0% and 0.5%. This translates into an approximate saving of six euros per year and household. It must be remembered that the majority of people are at work in the morning, as such during the winter, when it is dark in the afternoon, the cost is transferred to private individuals. Nevertheless, nowadays the cost of lighting forms an increasingly smaller part of the total consumption due to the widespread use of all sorts of electrical appliances where consumption is not dependent on whether or not there is daylight. 

Air conditioning in Summer

With the arrival of the good weather the gas bill goes down, but the same cannot be said of the electricity bill. Although electricity consumption has traditionally been higher in the winter, over the last few years, summer electricity consumption in Spain has steadily increased such that during July and August it reaches consumption levels which are equivalent to those of the coldest months of the year. This is due to the widespread use of air conditioning units, which are omnipresent in offices and shops and now in almost half of Spanish homes. 

These appliances consume a large amount of electricity, which is why adopting certain measures can lead to a saving. As such, for example, it is recommendable to use awnings, blinds, curtains, well-insulated windows and to air houses at the coolest times of the day. Furthermore, excessive air conditioning in closed spaces such as houses and offices can lead to health problems, due to subjecting the body to excessive temperature variations when leaving and entering the building. As a result, it is advisable to set air conditioning systems at a temperature of at least 24 or 25 degrees.  

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