When do the clocks go back in the UK in 2022, why we change them and time and date of change

The drop in temperatures and shorter days are stark signs that we will soon be resetting our clocks to what’s known as Daylight Savings Time.

In the UK, the clocks go fowards on the last Sunday of March, as we move our clocks forward by one hour.

Similarly, on the last Sunday of October, we put our clocks back by an hour – that’s this weekend.

For many of us, this will give us a much-needed additional hour in bed that day, although this is subject to change due to the existence of children, pets and early-bird spouses.

Here is everything you need to know about the clocks going back, including why we do it and when it is happening.

When do the clocks go back?

The clocks actually go back by an hour in the middle of the night, hence why we all get an extra hour in bed.

On Sunday, October 30, the clocks will go back by an hour at 2am, shifting us from British Summer Time (BST) to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Next year, we will put the clocks forward an hour at 1am on March 26.

Do I have to change the clocks myself?

Thanks to the joys of technology, your phones, computers, games consoles and even TVs will move the clocks back for you.

Some digital clocks will also make the change automatically, but it’s always best to double-check this against your phone in the morning, just in case.

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Obviously, analog clocks and watches are not the subject of our technological overlords – yet – so they will have to be moved back manually.

Why do we need to change our clocks?

The original thinking behind changing our clocks twice a year actually dates back to the early 1900s.

In 1907, British builder William Willett campaigned against a ‘waste of daylight’ and proposed having longer days in the summer.

Then in 1916, the Summer Time Act was introduced – due in part to Willett’s campaign but also to save energy during the First World War.