Change of time(s)

How many clocks have you changed today?

Most connected devices will have already changed their clocks for winter time.

You probably still had a number of devices that are not connected that you had to adjust manually, and that may have involved figuring out how to do it again.

What can we learn from this about the end of daylight saving time and the beginning of energy saving time?

1) Automate. The way your computer and phone adjust to the changing time seems like simple automation. But these devices are now taking a lot of the worry out of your life in other ways, too: automatically performing updates and routine daily recharging - adjusting to your usage patterns and external signals about the carbon intensity of the grid. So will charging your EV or heating your home with a heat pump: taking advantage of the best moments - whether it's daylight saving time and you want to make the most of your own solar power, or stormy autumn weather that causes wholesale electricity prices to plummet due to abundant wind power (like today).

2) Adjusting appliances manually is usually cumbersome. We fight our way through more or less intuitive interfaces. Perhaps there are people in your area who could use some help setting their clocks (go out and help them). It shows that there is quite a big barrier in adjusting (some may leave the clocks at the same setting all year round to "solve" the problem).

So adapting to changing times sometimes fails because it's too 'technical' and doesn't fit in with what users can do.

Unfortunately, programmes to make energy use more flexible and save energy - automated ones too - often take a technical approach. And there are deeper lessons to be learned from reflecting on this. Coincidentally, today is also the last day of the European Week for Gender Equality.

When I was young, there was a public service message on Dutch television about the unequal contribution of men and women to the household. From a child's perspective, it asked the question: "Who is the man who comes to cut the meat on Sundays?” Times are changing. Meat is less often on the table (but the division of labour between men and women in the home has perhaps not changed so radically over the same period).

"Who is the man who comes to charge the car on Sundays?”

But today, wouldn't it be more apt to say, "Who is the man who comes to charge the car on Sundays?”

(Yes, Sunday is often a good day to do this, as electricity prices are on average lower due to generally lower demand. Today, many north-western European countries have experienced many hours with wholesale electricity prices close to zero. But if the majority of EV owners are male, and the majority of charging technology users are also male, what does this say about gender equality in household tasks?) Is EV charging - and smart charging as a subset of smart energy - an issue that pays enough attention to the diversity of users?

Today, we might learn that the way we respond to time shifting is different for each individual. Accounting for individual differences is another lesson we could take into account as we move forward with work on smarter energy use. I would recommend anyone working on EV charging, smart charging, demand side management and energy savings programmes to listen to some of the findings of a recent User-Centred Energy Systems TCP by IEA Academy webinar presented some highlights of the work "Understanding the role of gender, age and income in participation potential in demand side management". Implicit choices in programme design affect participation and uptake across gender - and beyond, across income and age groups.

So use the end of this week not only to adapt to the time change, but also to the changing times. It is a good time to look at equitable participation in smart energy and energy saving programmes, alongside the focus on equal participation in the labour market, representation on boards and parliaments, and equal pay for equal work. Do we take inequality for granted or do we try to overcome it?