Cuba re-establishes summer time to save energy

Cuba on Sunday re-established Daylight Saving Time, also known as Summer Time, in a bid to make a better use of sunlight and save fuel.

Inhabitants of the island country must advance one hour the pointers of their clocks, the National Office for the Rational Use of Energy (ONURE) said in a document published by local media.

Summer Time is an international practice that has a great impact on energy saving, the document said.

According to official data, about 4 million tons of fuel -- more than half of the total consumption in Cuba -- are used to generate electricity every year.

ONURE estimated that the time change would save about 1,155 tons of diesel in electricity production.

With this modification, the country is four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time instead of five held during Winter Time, or Normal Time.

Summer Time was introduced in Cuba in 1928, but it began to be used regularly after 1963. Endi