2026 schedule
| Change | Date | Local time | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clocks go forward | Sunday, March 29, 2026 | 3:00 AM | Jumps to 4:00 AM — one hour is lost |
| Clocks go back | Sunday, October 25, 2026 | 4:00 AM | Returns to 3:00 AM — one hour is gained |
Ukraine keeps EET in winter and shifts one hour forward for the summer.
Time until the next change
Current local time:
Does DST Actually Save Energy?
This was the original justification, and it is the claim that has held up worst. A US Department of Energy report to Congress in 2008 measured the four weeks added to DST in 2007 and found a saving of about 0.5% of daily national electricity use — real, but small.
Other work has found no saving at all. A well-known study of Indiana, which adopted DST statewide in 2006, found residential electricity use actually rose by 1–4%: households used less lighting but more air conditioning on hot summer evenings. Any lighting savings are also partly offset by extra petrol use as people travel more in the lighter evenings.
Getting ready
- Gradually adjust your sleep schedule a few days before the time change to minimize disruption.
- Use the extra evening daylight in summer for outdoor activities and vitamin D.
- Check and replace smoke detector batteries when changing clocks - it's a good reminder!
- Set your clocks before going to bed to avoid confusion in the morning.
Frequently asked questions
When do the clocks change in Ukraine in 2026?
Clocks go forward on Sunday, March 29, 2026 and back on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
Which way do the clocks go?
"Spring forward, fall back" is the usual mnemonic: forward one hour in spring, back one hour in autumn.
Do I have to change anything myself?
Phones, computers and anything that syncs over the internet update on their own. Car clocks, ovens, microwaves and older wall clocks generally do not.
Is Daylight Saving Time being scrapped?
It has been proposed in many places and adopted in few. The European Parliament voted in 2019 to end mandatory clock changes and the change has stalled; in the United States the Sunshine Protection Act has repeatedly passed the Senate without becoming law. Most of the world that changes its clocks is still changing them.