This weekend many people around the country set their clocks back to adhere to daylight savings time (DST).     How did this tradition start, and why do we follow daylight savings time?

Although daylight savings has only been used for about 100 years, ancient civilizations had been known to use a similar system.  Ancient people would adjust their daily schedules to the sun’s schedule.  Benjamin Franklin is often credited with bringing daylight savings time into the modern limelight.  He suggested, in a essay, although jokingly, that Parisians could economize candle usage by getting people out of bed earlier in the morning, making use of the natural morning light instead.

Both George Vernon Hudson and William Willett had also suggested a system similar to daylight savings.  Both men suggested setting clocks either forward or back to coincide with daylight hours.  Willet actually suggested eight time changes a year moving clocks in 20 minute increments.  This plan was introduced to the British House of Commons in February 1908, with the first bill drafted in 1909, however, the idea was never made into a law.

Daylight Savings in Europe

Germany was the first country to implement DST in 1916 in an effort to save fuel for the war.  The innovative idea caught on and countries around the world used DST during the war, but many reverted back to standard time after WWI.  U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt instituted year-round DST in the United States, called “War Time” during World War II from February 9, 1942 to September 30, 1945.

Modern DST in the U.S.

In the United States, DST caused widespread confusion from 1945 to because states and localities were free to choose when and if they would observe DST.  In 1966 Congress passed into law the Uniform Time Act which stated DST would begin on the last Sunday of April and end on the last Sunday of October. However, states still had the ability to be exempt from DST by passing a local ordinance.

Daylight Saving today

In other news, scientists at Syracuse University may have created a new light source that doesn’t need electricity or batteries to produce light. How? The firefly. The scientists found a new way to harness this bioluminescence using nanoscience. Mathew Maye, assistant professor of chemistry at SU explained:

“The nanorods are made of the same materials used in computer chips, solar panels and LED lights. It’s conceivable that someday firefly-coated nanorods could be inserted into LED-type lights that you don’t have to plug in.”

Electrical issues have a way of cropping up all of a sudden. At that point of time, the only thing on your mind is that you should be able to contact an electrician who will deal with the issue without delay. If you look online, you will find that Sydney has a large number of electrical companies, big and small and you may feel that identifying a good electrician shouldn’t be much of a challenge.

This could be no further from the truth. There’s much more to zeroing-in on the right electrical contractor that than. As a matter of fact, if you aren’t too particular about who you are hiring for the job that can easily lead to a major fire break-out on your property. This is something you want to avoid under all circumstances. The very first things to take into consideration are:

It’s common knowledge that you would need an electrician to install/ replace/repair/maintain electrical systems. In our country, you are legally permitted to replace light bulbs and operate electrical appliances in just the manner they are designed to be operated. Apart from that, all electrical jobs should be handled by a certified and insured electrician and this can include:

The rule of thumb is that even if you feel a particular job is very minor and you know exactly what you’re doing, it’s important that you call an electrician. It’s vital to understand that any type of DIY electrical work can be extremely dangerous – it can result in fire, damage, injury as well as death. Here are the things you should be looking for when you are choosing an electrical contractor:

We at Allround Electrical are licensed and insured electrical contractors; we can rectify all types of electrical faults and provide a range of electrical services. For more information, contact our friendly team today at this number – 1300 169 263. You can also write to us at this email address.

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