It’s become an annual spring ritual, and a sure sign that winter’s on the wane.

So let’s all “spring forward” by one hour. Don’t worry, you’ll get the hour back come fall.

Daylight saving time (DST)  begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 13. It ends this year at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6.

It’s been around for decades for much of the country, and was extended by four weeks starting in 2007 after Congress made it part of national energy policy.

Ironically, experts still debate whether DST actually saves much energy. A study in 2008 by the U.S. Department of Energy estimated that extending DST saved about 1.3 Terawatt-hours of electricity. Sounds like a lot, but that translates to just one-third of one percent of total U.S. electricity consumption.

Alabama Power’s energy experts say there’s no indication that extending DST has resulted in any decrease – or increase – in energy consumption.

This year, policymakers in at least one state are considering whether to scrap DST altogether. A bill filed last month in the California State Assembly would let voters decide whether to end DST in the Golden State. They originally approved it in 1949.

“I heard some complaints last year from some of the senior citizens (in my district) and their care providers who say this one-hour difference really impacted their lives,” Assemblyman Kansen Chu, D-San Jose, told the Sacramento Bee newspaper. In addition to conflicting information about energy savings, Chu points to a study that concludes the switch to DST contributes to workplace accidents.

Then there’s another recent study, which suggests more light in the evening hours can improve children’s health. According to experts at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Bristol, England, more evening light encourages children to be more physically active and to engage in outdoor play, which can help to reduce childhood obesity.

By the way, the Brits call DST “British Summer Time.” They will spring forward March 27.

If saving energy fits your schedule, check out the tips at Alabama Power. From installing weather stripping, to wrapping your hot water heater, you’ll find plenty of ideas that won’t cost you much time, and could save you some cash, all year long.