After the ghouls and goblins of Halloween night retreat, remember to set your clocks back one hour as this Sunday, November 1 at 2:00 a.m. marks the end of Daylight Saving Time.

Why?

I did a little research myself and learned that Daylight Saving Time (yes, the correct term is “Saving” not “Savings“) dates back to 1784 when the idea was conceived by Benjamin Franklin. Although it wasn’t until 1918 that Daylight Saving Time (DST) was enacted into law in the United States. Over the years there have been several changes—most recently the Energy Policy Act of 2005  that extended DST beginning in 2007 to start the second Sunday of March and end the first Sunday of November each year.

Rationale for Daylight Saving Time was to make better use of daylight. Advocates pushed for safe trick-or-treating, fewer violent crimes, fewer traffic accidents and increased energy conservation. But there is just as must research to support the contrary, such as sleep disturbances, loss of work productivity, auto accidents and energy savings offset by cooling, heating and gas. (You can learn more from these sources: Webexhibits.org and Wikipedia.org.)

Regardless of the who’s and why’s, most of us take advantage of this “fall back” by enjoying the extra hour of sleep. But this annual time change is also a good time to remind homeowners (and yourself) about some important home safety checks.

• check the batteries in the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• review emergency/disaster plans
• change the furnace filters
• clean the chimney
• clean the gutters

If you have a Daylight Saving reminder for homeowners leave a comment!