New Solus Survey reveals 63% not in favour of ‘daylight saving’ and romance also gets the cold shoulder!
As the clocks go back in the early hours of Sunday October 30th at 2am, it marks 100 years since the concept of ‘daylight saving’ was introduced in Ireland under British rule. Every year the clocks go forward an hour in March and back an hour in October but according to a new survey carried out by leading Irish lighting company Solus, 63% of Irish people would prefer if the practice was abolished!
We seem to be a lazy lot as 46% will spend the extra hour in bed and only 4% will use the extra hour to start their winter fitness plan. Indulgence is high on the agenda as 13% will have a long leisurely breakfast and 15% will stay out extra late so they can make the most of the extra Sunday snooze but only 6% will feel industrious enough to use the hour to clean out the hot press! 15% won’t remember until already up and out of the house!
Not everyone dreads the long evenings as 28% cited contentment with cozy nights in by the fire, 9% will even be excited as Christmas is just around the corner but only a mere 1% will look forward to romance and candlelit cuddles. 35% will feel glum, 8% downright grumpy and 10% completely indifferent. 5% will be in a bit of a tizzy with so much to do before Christmas and the last 4% will be confused – what time is it now?
When asked why the clocks go back, 83% of respondents cited day light saving and to benefit school children, energy efficiency and community, 13% believe it is to signal the end of summer, 1% quite rightly mentioned it is because William Willet wanted to play more golf! It was, in fact, the great-great-grandfather of Coldplay rocker Chris Martin – William Willet – that first introduced the concept of ‘daylight saving’ in 1907 and he actually was a keen golfer.
Whether we like it or not, on Sunday October 30th at 2am the clocks go back, making mornings slightly lighter and evenings darker. There are currently about 70 countries that participate in Daylight Saving Time, though not necessarily on the same schedule as Ireland. Ireland is located in the Greenwich Mean Time zone, sharing the same time as Great Britain, Iceland, Portugal, and some countries in northwest Africa. In Ireland, the maximum 17 hours of sunlight – on the longest day in June (the summer solstice) – dwindles to just seven hours and 30 minutes six months later in December (the winter solstice).
This week’s Solus survey reveals that 90% believe they have less than 75 light fittings in their houses even though the average 3 bed semi detached house actually has more than 75 light fittings! 77% of those surveyed were aware of the exact date that the clocks go back this month and the vast majority know the reasons why so we seem to be quite knowledgeable on daylight saving but energy saving is not our strongest subject!
As the clocks go back and the evenings get darker we have some top energy saving tips from Solus:
- Energy efficient light bulbs not only save money on electricity bills but also help to protect the environment. It is a good idea to check all bulbs in use and stocks of light bulbs and start changing now as the savings will more than pay for the replacement costs.
- Turn the lights off when leaving a room and use “task” lighting rather than whole room lighting when only a small amount of light is required. Regularly clean light fittings, reflectors and lampshades.
- Most energy efficient light bulbs, such as Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and halogen light bulbs, are available in various configurations and although they cost more to purchase, they are far more energy efficient thus reducing electricity costs. For example, a CFL light bulb uses 80% less electricity than an equivalent incandescent light bulb and typically lasts eight to twelve times longer.
- Replacing 3 x 100W incandescent light bulbs with CFLs using 3 hours of electricity per day can save an average household up to €43 per annum.
- Outdoor flood lights look great especially when they are lighting up trees or garden features. However, it might be worth considering only switching them on occasionally to help reduce your energy bill.
Solus is an Irish owned company that has been established for over eighty years and now supports 63 jobs in Ireland. The company is constantly investing in NPD and the development, manufacturing & application of innovative lighting solutions including next generation LEDs. Solus is committed to providing a complete range of energy saving lighting products for all applications possible. This has enabled consumers to be confident in knowing that they can rely on Solus to supply their lighting needs well into the future at competitive prices.
ENDS
Press Contact: Helen O Dwyer | PR1 | 086 2332725 | Helen@pr1.ie
Editors Notes:
The online survey was carried out by Solus from Friday 14/10/16 to Friday 21/10/16 with 346 completed responses. A full breakdown of answers to each question is available on request.
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