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On Sunday, March 14th, 2010 Daylight Savings Time begins at 2 a.m. Not all places in the United States observe daylight savings time. In particular, Hawaii and Arizona do not use it, and Indiana recently adopted its use in 2006.

According to the California Energy Commission, one of the main reasons we change our clocks to Daylight Savings Time (DST) is that it reportedly saves electricity. Newer studies are being done to see if that long-held reason is true.

In general, energy use and the demand for electricity for lighting our homes is directly connected to when we go to bed and when we get up. Bedtime for most of us is late evening through the year. When we go to bed, we turn off the lights and TV.

In the average home, 25 percent of all the electricity we use is for lighting and small appliances, such as TVs, VCRs and stereos. A good percentage of energy consumed by lighting and appliances occurs in the evening when families are home. By moving the clock ahead one hour, we can cut the amount of electricity we consume each day.

Twice a year, when Daylight Savings Time begins or ends, you should try and make it a habit to not only change your clocks, but also do other semi-annual tasks that can improve your safety at home.

It is very important that you check and replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. If your fire alarms are over 10 years old, they should be replaced, and if your carbon monoxide alarms are over five years old, they should also be replaced. The sensors in these alarms degrade and lose effectiveness over time due to environmental contamination and age.

You should also update your home disaster supply kit and replenish any water, food, flashlights, batteries, and blankets. This is also a great time to check your home, basement, and garage for any dangerous and hazardous materials. Also, you should check and discard any expired medications. Even very common over-the-counter medications can cause serious problems due to change through aging.

And lastly, change all the batteries in your house including clocks, phone accessories, flashlights, portable electronics, and anything with a backup timer such as controls, thermostats, irrigation, outdoor lighting, and water conditioners.

Here are the time-change dates for the next few years: