France Winter Time Change 2024: What You Need to Know

Published on: October 09, 2024 | By: @rprasanth_kumar

The transition to winter time in France will take place on Sunday, October 27, 2024, at 3:00 a.m.

So, clocks will need to be set back by 60 minutes, making it 2:00 a.m.
It will be done automatically on connected electronic devices including smartphones.

The daylight saving time change has been in effect in mainland France since 1976.

It was introduced primarily to save energy following the 1973-1974 oil crisis and the resulting spike in oil prices.
The idea was to reduce electricity consumption, which at the time was largely produced from oil, by utilizing an extra hour of natural sunlight in the evening.
Since 1998, the dates of time changes have been harmonised within the European Union.
In all member countries, the switch to winter time is made on the last Sunday of October and the switch to summer time is made on the last Sunday of March.
According to a 2010 study by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe), daylight saving time had a positive impact on energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

The practice of changing clocks is increasingly contested by citizens, and its benefits are now debated.

The energy savings are now considered minimal, especially with the widespread use of energy-efficient lighting.
Opponents also point to an increase in road accidents and sleep disorders, particularly among the elderly and children.
In response to growing concerns, the European Parliament requested a public consultation in the summer of 2018, which gathered over 4.6 million responses, with 84% in favor of ending daylight saving time (a similar result was found in a 2019 French consultation).
Although the European Commission planned to adopt a directive to end the time change by the end of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the discussion, and it is not expected to be addressed in the near future.

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