- Daylight Saving Time does not benefit farmers, as commonly believed.
- It was introduced by the Germans during WWI as a fuel-saving measure.
- Daylight Saving Time actually leads to a rise in residential electricity consumption.
- Studies show an increase in car accidents and work-related injuries after the time change.
- Despite these negative effects, 70 countries still observe Daylight Saving Time.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Daylight Saving Time - How Is This Still A Thing? (HBO)

Daylight saving time doesn’t actually benefit anyone. Strangely, it’s still a thing!

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And now, Last Week Tonight asks, How is this still a thing?

If you're like most Americans, you've been groggy all day after losing an hour of sleep to daylight savings.

And as you struggle to remember how to change the clock on your f***ing microwave, you may have wondered, why is this happening?

For years, conventional wisdom has been that it benefits 1 particular group.

I know it started because of farmers, I'm almost sure of that.

It gives them extra time to plant, extra time to harvest.

I remember years ago hearing that it was for the farm people.

The farm people want nothing to do with this, as they themselves will tell you.

I know really no farmer that I'm aware of that benefits from, you know, actually farm activities and daylight savings time.

Of course daylight saving doesn't benefit farmers.

Cows don't care what time it is because they're cows, and cows are idiots.

The modern daylight saving was introduced during the First World War as a fuel-saving measure by the Germans.

That's right, you lost an hour of sleep this morning thanks to Kaiser Wilhelm.

And while back then daylight saving may indeed have saved fuel, in the modern era energy consumption is a little more complicated.

In fact, when Indiana adopted daylight saving in 2006, guess what happened?

The data shows that daylight saving actually led to a 1% overall rise in residential electricity.

Because switching on a lamp an hour later in the summer doesn't really matter when you're blasting an air conditioner and staying up all night psychotically scrolling through Instagrams of your ex's honeymoon to Morocco.

But that's not to say daylight saving doesn't have any effects at all.

Studies show there is an increase of car accidents and work-related injuries the week after the time change.

What you lose in sleep, you gain in mortal danger.

Despite all this, 70 countries around the world still observe daylight saving.

And yet by going by local news reports, none of them could tell you why.

Well, daylight saving is almost over for another year, and with it comes the usual debate over its merits or lack thereof.

...To even the Germans, the people who started this whole mess.

The time change for many people is ridiculous.

Whether it's an hour ahead or later is complete nonsense.

And that's coming from a country that thinks this is a word and that this is dancing.

So, if it doesn't benefit our energy bill, our health, or our stupid, stupid cows, It has to make


Speaker 0: And now, Last Week Tonight asks, How is this still a thing? This week, Daylight Saving Time. How is this still a thing? If you're like most Americans, you've been groggy all day after losing an hour of sleep to daylight savings. And as you struggle to remember how to change the clock on your f***ing microwave, you may have wondered, why is this happening?

For years, conventional wisdom has been that it benefits 1 particular group. I know it started because of farmers, I'm almost sure of that. But that's not actually true. It gives them extra time to plant, extra time to harvest. It has nothing to do with farmers.

I remember years ago hearing that it was for the farm people. The farm people want nothing to do with this, as they themselves will tell you.

Speaker 1: I know really no farmer that I'm aware of that benefits from, you know, actually farm activities and daylight savings time.

Speaker 0: Of course daylight saving doesn't benefit farmers. Cows don't care what time it is because they're cows, and cows are idiots. So if it's not for them, who is it for? The modern daylight saving was introduced during the First World War as a fuel-saving measure by the Germans. That's right, you lost an hour of sleep this morning thanks to Kaiser Wilhelm.

And while back then daylight saving may indeed have saved fuel, in the modern era energy consumption is a little more complicated. In fact, when Indiana adopted daylight saving in 2006, guess what happened? The data shows that daylight saving actually led to a 1% overall rise in residential electricity. Of course it did. Because switching on a lamp an hour later in the summer doesn't really matter when you're blasting an air conditioner and staying up all night psychotically scrolling through Instagrams of your ex's honeymoon to Morocco.

But that's not to say daylight saving doesn't have any effects at all. Studies show there is an increase of car accidents and work-related injuries the week after the time change. That's right. What you lose in sleep, you gain in mortal danger. Despite all this, 70 countries around the world still observe daylight saving.

And yet by going by local news reports, none of them could tell you why. From Australia. Well, daylight saving is almost over for another year, and with it comes the usual debate over its merits or lack thereof. To Italy. It's a pain in the ass, basically.

...To even the Germans, the people who started this whole mess. The time change for many people is ridiculous. Whether it's an hour ahead or later is complete nonsense. Complete nonsense. And that's coming from a country that thinks this is a word and that this is dancing.

So, if it doesn't benefit our energy bill, our health, or our stupid, stupid cows, It has to make

Speaker 1: you

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Daylight Saving Time - How Is This Still A Thing?: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)