Jan. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Springing forward may not help save energy, according to a study by the University of California at Berkeley.

U.S. plans to cut electricity usage by lengthening daylight saving time may backfire, the report said. Lengthening daylight saving time by several weeks was included in energy legislation passed in 2005, with the goal of saving energy equivalent to 100,000 barrels of oil a day.

Extending daylight saving time may actually result in increased electricity demand as additional usage during morning hours cancels out the reduced demand in the evening, according to the Berkeley study. The paper analyzed electricity usage in Australia, which lengthened its daylight saving time by two months while hosting the 2000 Olympics.

``There is no evidence that extending daylight saving time will lead to energy savings,'' said Hendrik Wolff, one of the study's authors, in an interview. ``Actually, there is evidence that it may lead to a little higher energy consumption.''

The theory that energy can be saved by moving the clocks ahead in the spring was endorsed in the 18th Century by Ben Franklin and implemented during World War I. The practice is meant to save energy by reducing the need for artificial light during waking hours.

Consumption

When Australia lengthened daylight saving time, colder, darker mornings caused an increase in electricity demand that outweighed savings in the evening, according to the report, which was written by Wolff and Ryan Kellogg, both Ph.D. students at the university's Agricultural and Resource Economics department.

The study stripped out variables related to the Olympics themselves, which lasted 17 days, and studied electricity demand in states where no events were held.

There was a 0.44 percent increase in electricity consumption during weekdays and 0.11 percent increase overall during the two month-period when daylight saving time was lengthened in Australia, the report found.

Daylight saving time in the U.S. will begin the second Sunday in March and end on the first Sunday in November starting this year. It previously began on the first Sunday in April and ended on the last Sunday in October.

Extending daylight savings time in the U.S. may also result in greater air conditioning usage in the evenings in the Southeast and desert areas, Wolff said.

Australia and New Zealand are currently considering extending daylight saving time, with proponents arguing that the move will save resources, Wolff said. Japan is considering implementing the system, he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Greg Chang in San Francisco at gchang1@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: January 10, 2007 20:04 EST