The Canary Islands will switch to summer time during the early hours of Sunday, March 30, 2025. At 1:00 a.m., the clocks will move forward one hour to 2:00 a.m., aligning with the rest of Spain. This change, which will be the penultimate adjustment according to the Official State Gazette (BOE), is part of a long-standing practice that dates back to 1918.
The summer schedule will remain in effect until October 26, 2025, when the clocks will be set back again. This twice-a-year ritual is intended to optimize energy consumption by making better use of natural daylight. However, the practice has sparked ongoing debates about its actual benefits and potential adverse effects on health and well-being.
Historically, the time change in Spain was first introduced in 1918, initially aimed at conserving energy by taking advantage of daylight. It was not until the oil crisis of 1974 that the practice was adopted regularly, establishing a system of spring and autumn time changes. The Canary Islands maintain a one-hour difference from the mainland throughout the year, with the summer time change occurring simultaneously across the country.
Spain adopted the Central European time zone in 1940 during World War II to align with other European nations. Despite the historical significance of this time zone adjustment, the European Commission's last communication regarding time changes was in 2021, which outlined the framework for changes until 2026.
In a public consultation conducted by the European Commission in 2018, an overwhelming 93% of Spanish participants expressed support for eliminating the time change, reflecting a significant sentiment among the populace. Yet, a commission of experts concluded on March 20, 2019, that any hasty changes to time zones should be avoided until a shared consensus and practical understanding of the implications were established.
Interestingly, the Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving (IDAE) has not conducted any studies related to the time change in recent years, with the last report dating back to 2015. They emphasized that no updated reports are available to confirm that the time change results in energy savings. The most recent analysis from the European Parliament's Industry, Research and Energy Committee in 2018 indicated that while seasonal time changes might yield marginal energy savings, these benefits are not guaranteed across all EU member states.
Moreover, the IDAE pointed out that although energy savings in lighting might occur, the impact on heating consumption could potentially increase, complicating the interpretation of results due to external factors like weather and user behavior. They highlighted that studies on time changes require long-term analysis to assess stationary situations adequately.
Public sentiment about the time change remains mixed. A survey conducted in 2024 by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) revealed that 70% of Spaniards prefer summer time, while only 23% favor winter time. However, a recent global study led by Darío Acuña, an emeritus professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Granada, warned of the negative biological impacts caused by time changes.
Acuña's research argues for maintaining winter time, citing that the gradual variations in daylight throughout the seasons allow for better human adaptation. The abrupt shift to summer time disrupts this balance, leading to excessive evening light, which can be detrimental to health by disturbing the human chronobiotic system.
As the Canary Islands prepare for the upcoming time change, residents are advised to set their clocks forward before going to bed to ease the transition. The next scheduled time changes are set for March 29, 2026, and October 25, 2026, marking the final adjustments as per the current regulations.
With the ongoing discussions surrounding the efficacy and impact of time changes, the Canary Islanders will experience this seasonal adjustment once again, navigating the complexities of timekeeping in a modern world.
