30th March
GMT → BST (British Summer Time)
Sun rises 1 hour later
Sun sets 1 hour later
BST → GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
Sun rises 1 hour earlier
Sun sets 1 hour earlier
The clock change was originally introduced to make better use of natural daylight and save energy. In summer, we move clocks forward to shift daylight to the evening. In winter, we move them back to provide more morning light when most people are waking up.
An easy way to remember is the phrase "Spring forward, Fall back". In Spring, we move clocks forward one hour. In Fall (Autumn), we move them back one hour.
Most modern digital devices (smartphones, computers, smart watches) update automatically. However, some devices, particularly older ones or standalone appliances, may need manual adjustment.
The spring change can be more challenging as we lose an hour of sleep. It's recommended to adjust your bedtime gradually a few days before. The autumn change is generally easier as we gain an hour, though it may still temporarily disrupt sleep patterns.
These devices typically update automatically if connected to the internet and time zone is set correctly.
Remember to change these devices manually when the clocks change.
Daylight Saving Time was first introduced in the UK during World War I to conserve energy. The Summer Time Act 1916 advanced clocks by 1 hour from 21st May to 1st October.
During World War II, Britain used Double Summer Time (GMT+2) and kept clocks 1 hour ahead of GMT throughout winter to maximize working daylight hours.
The UK experimented with keeping GMT+1 year-round, but reverted due to concerns about darker mornings in northern regions.
The current system was formalized under EU directive 2000/84/EC, harmonizing clock changes across Europe. The UK continues this practice post-Brexit.
Clocks change on the last Sunday in March (BST) and October (GMT). There's ongoing debate about abolishing seasonal changes, but no legislation has passed.
Get programmatic access to UK clock change data through our simple JSON API.
GET https://whendotheclockschange.uk/api/latest.json
GET https://whendotheclockschange.uk/api/v1.json
Use latest.json to always get the newest version, or v1.json for guaranteed stability.
{
"data": {
"change": "At 1:00am, clocks go forward to 2:00am",
"date": "2025-03-30T00:00:00",
"days_until": 18,
"type": "forward"
},
"generated_at": "2025-03-12T13:07:42.680383",
"version": "1.0"
}version - API version numbergenerated_at - Timestamp when this data was generateddata - The clock change information:
date - ISO 8601 date of the next changetype - Either "forward" or "back"days_until - Number of days until this changechange - Human-readable description of what happenscurl https://whendotheclockschange.uk/api/latest.json