France switches to winter time

France has been observing winter time since Sunday, October 25, continuing a policy first introduced in 1975 during the oil crisis. This change involves setting clocks back by one hour to extend evening daylight.

Official reason for daylight saving time

The official justification for daylight saving time is reducing electricity consumption, particularly for lighting. However, the effectiveness of this policy has been questioned in recent years due to technological advancements.

Energy savings from daylight saving time

According to a 2010 study by Ademe, daylight saving time saved 440 gigawatthours (GWh) of electricity on lighting in 2009. However, these savings have been declining annually due to the shift from traditional light bulbs to more energy-efficient LED lighting.

Impact of energy savings

At the national level, the energy savings from daylight saving time are minimal, with the 440 GWh saved in 2009 representing less than 0.1% of France’s total electricity consumption. For an individual, the savings are estimated at about 3 euros per year.

Public opinion and European action

In 2018, the European Commission conducted a public consultation on daylight saving time, receiving 4.6 million responses. Over 84% of participants supported ending seasonal time changes, leading the European Parliament to vote in 2019 for the abolition of daylight saving time starting in 2021.

Stalled abolition of daylight saving time

Despite the European Parliament’s vote, the policy remains in place due to lack of agreement among member states. The Council of the European Union has been unable to reach a consensus, particularly on whether to keep permanent daylight saving time or winter time.

Ongoing research on time changes

Since February 2026, the European Commission has been studying 10 scenarios for abolishing daylight saving time. The study is examining the effects on the economy, transport, health, and energy, with conclusions expected by the end of the year.