Households across the United Kingdom have been reminded that the clocks will go back earlier in 2026 than they did in 2025. The change will take place at 2am on Sunday, October 25, 2026, which is one calendar day earlier than last year's shift, when the clocks were turned back on Sunday, October 26.
The adjustment marks the end of British Summer Time (BST) and the return to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) for the winter months. The twice-yearly ritual remains in place despite ongoing calls to scrap it.
Why the date differs and what the government says
The date of the clock change is determined by a fixed rule: clocks go forward one hour at 1am on the last Sunday in March and back one hour at 2am on the last Sunday in October. In 2026, the last Sunday in October falls on the 25th, hence the earlier shift compared to 2025.
The UK government has confirmed there are currently no plans to stop changing the clocks, despite a 2019 vote by the European Parliament to end the practice. That proposal, which would have required member states to choose between permanent winter or summer time by the end of 2021, has been temporarily put on hold. The UK is no longer bound by EU rules, and the government has not signalled any intention to alter the system.
In an official statement, the government explained: "In the UK the clocks go forward 1 hour at 1am on the last Sunday in March, and back 1 hour at 2am on the last Sunday in October. The period when the clocks are 1 hour ahead is called British Summer Time (BST). There’s more daylight in the evenings and less in the mornings (sometimes called Daylight Saving Time). When the clocks go back, the UK is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)."
The government has also published future dates: clocks will go back on October 31 in 2027 and October 29 in 2028.
Petition calls for an end to the twice-yearly change
A petition launched last year by Gary Close urges the Labour Party government to "cancel the twice yearly time changes so as to have what we believe will be a system better suited to today's society young and old." The petition argues that the clock-moving system is "outdated and of little benefit in today's society," and that a consistent time would benefit sleep and wellbeing, especially for workers and school children.
If the petition reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament. It remains open until October of this year.
A separate petition on the Change.org website makes a similar case, stating: "The concept of changing the time on the nation’s clocks twice a year and alternating between Greenwich Mean Time and British Summer Time (also known as changing the clocks and daylight saving) was introduced a little over a century ago. There is no evidence that this is beneficial or relevant to the people of the United Kingdom in the 21st Century; this may actually be harmful."
The Change.org petition adds: "There is ample evidence that this process causes unnecessary problems, stress, effort and expense to individuals, businesses, the private sector and public services. All for no good reason. The United Kingdom should cease changing the time and remain fixed at Greenwich Mean Time. Some people think that this will prevent them from enjoying the lighter evenings, but this is simply not true. As a society, we are already suffering from too much stress, so why do we continue with something that causes needless, additional, stress, effort and expense?"
For now, households should prepare to set their clocks back one hour at 2am on Sunday, October 25, 2026, marking the start of GMT and shorter daylight hours until the clocks go forward again in March 2027.
