End of Daylight Saving Time Checklist

21 items · Home · Easy difficulty · 45 min

When the clocks go back: devices that don't update themselves, smoke alarms, kids' and pets' routines, and the week the US and Europe are out of step.

Check the date the clocks change where you live
October 25, 2026 in the UK and EU, November 1, 2026 in most of the US and Canada. Most of Arizona and all of Hawaii don't change.
Look through your calendar for meetings with people in other countries that week
From October 25 to November 1, the gap between Europe and most of the US and Canada is an hour shorter than usual.
Start moving young children's bedtime later in small steps a few days before
Shift pets' feeding and walk times the same way
If you take medicine at a fixed time of day, ask your pharmacist how to handle the change
Set the clocks back one hour on everything that doesn't update itself
Oven, microwave and coffee maker
Car dashboard clock
Wall clocks, watches and bedside alarm clocks
Heating thermostat schedule
Until you change it, the heating comes on and goes off an hour early.
Timers on lamps, outdoor lights and sprinklers
Check that phones, laptops and smart speakers changed on their own
A device whose time was set by hand, instead of automatically, won't.
Test every smoke alarm with its test button
Test carbon monoxide alarms too
Replace any batteries that are weak or due
The alarm itself wears out too. Check the date on the back of each one and replace any unit past its replacement date.
If you work a night shift that weekend, ask how the extra hour will be paid
One hour of that night happens twice, so a shift from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. by the clock is nine hours long.
Plan for darker evenings on the commute home
Check bike lights and charge them
Find reflective gear for children who walk home from school
Check that porch and path lights work
Move evening walks or runs earlier, or plan a lit route

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