Should we have daylight saving time?

Daylight saving time reduces energy usage

Question: Should we have daylight saving time?
Position1 of 2›: Yes, we should have daylight saving time
Argument1 of 2›: Daylight saving time reduces energy usage

Partaking in daylight saving time has been shown to reduce energy usage.

The argument

Daylight Saving Time reduces energy usage because of the extra hour of sunlight. Ideally, the more sunlight there is, the less energy people will use. Instead of turning on lights, they open a window to take advantage of the natural light. Furthermore, the added sunlight allows for more outdoor activities. With more sunlight during the day, children hopefully opt for a game outside rather than watching TV, thus reducing energy. Daylight Saving Time also helps with load smoothing, or separating the energy load. If everyone in the country uses energy at the same, a tremendous amount of strain is placed on the electrical system. Daylight Saving Time allows for mass energy usage to be more spread out.

Context

Daylight Saving Time was officially adopted by most European countries in 1916 and by America in 1918 during World War I. It was originally implemented to save energy.

Premises

[P1]Shifting an hour of daylight to the evening reduces reliance on artificial lighting and encourages outdoor activity instead of energy-consuming indoor entertainment. [P2] Daylight Saving Time also spreads peak energy demand across the day, easing strain on the electrical system. [P3] Policies that cut overall energy consumption and smooth demand are worth adopting. [C] Therefore, we should have daylight saving time because it reduces energy usage.

Counter-arguments

The concept of Daylight Saving Time was adopted over a century ago. While the amount of energy usage reduction was significant back then, the case isn't quite the same now. The amount of energy saved today is near insignificant. People use energy whether or not the sun is out.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] The amount of energy actually saved by Daylight Saving Time is rather insignificant in the present day. There are more efficient ways to reduce energy usage.