- Daylight Saving Time Affected by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 -

ZEELAND, Mich., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sunday, November 4, most Americans will "fall back" when Daylight Saving Time ends. If you think this seems later than usual, then you're right! On August 8, 2005, President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This new policy changed the end of Daylight Saving Time from the last Sunday in October to the first Sunday in November. 2007 marks the first year of the switch.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071026/NYF082 )

According to the key sponsor of the bill, United States Representative Edward Markey of Massachusetts, the change will "save consumers $329 million dollars, avoid the need to build more than three large electric power plants, avoid consumption of 21 billion cubic feet of natural gas, and avoid generation of nearly 11 million metric tons of the carbon emissions that lead to Global Warming."

Howard Miller(R), the premier manufacturer of clocks, display cabinets and Wine & Spirits Furnishings(TM) in the United States, estimates that over three-quarters of a billion clocks and timing devices in the U.S., not counting watches, will be set back one hour on November 4. Time expert Mark Siciliano, Director of Marketing for Howard Miller, offers the following from his treasure trove of facts about the history of Daylight Saving Time:

Who started Daylight Saving Time? Benjamin Franklin. Daylight Saving Time has been widely used since World War I, when the system was adopted by U.S. law to conserve fuel. During World War II it was mandatory but did not become law in peacetime until 1966.

Who is in charge of DST? The U.S. Department of Transportation, which also has jurisdiction over time zones. Standard time in time zones was first instituted in 1883 by the railroads.

Does every state observe Daylight Saving Time? Although it was enacted as a law in 1966, Congress does not require that it be observed. Hawaii and the Eastern Time Zone of Indiana, among others, do not recognize daylight saving time.

How are we affected by the time change? The time change causes sleep deprivation that will make workers more prone to accidents according to a Harvard Medical School professor who has studied the subject. Also, a Canadian study cited an 8% jump in the number of traffic accidents in the Spring, when drivers had lost an hour's sleep, and a 9% decrease in the number of accidents in the fall, when people were better rested.

Are there any unusual stories involving Daylight Saving Time? A man, born just after 12:00 a.m. DST, avoided the Vietnam War draft by using a loophole in Daylight Saving Time law. When drafted, he claimed that standard time, not DST, was the official time for recording births in Delaware in the year of his birth. Therefore, he was officially born on the previous day, which happened to have a higher lottery number, allowing him to evade the draft.

Headquartered in Zeeland, Mich., Howard Miller has been crafting fine wood furnishings for more than 80 years. Its offerings include the world's finest clocks and display cabinets as well as the industry's first collection of wine and spirits furnishings. This family-owned company employs more than 1,500 people at 11 manufacturing and distribution plants worldwide.

For more information on clocks, display cabinets and wine and spirits furnishings or to find a retailer near you, visit www.howardmiller.com. SOURCE Howard Miller

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