In 2018, almost 60% of California voters said yes to Prop 7, the measure that was supposed to get us out of changing the clocks twice a year.
This Sunday, November 1, at 2 a.m., we’re changing them anyway.
Here’s the deal: Prop 7 only gave the Legislature permission to make a change, and permanent daylight time would also need a green light from Congress. Neither has happened. The latest attempt, SB 1197, would have put California on year-round standard time instead, but it was held in committee in May. So the clocks fall back, and our daylight savings checklist comes back with them.
(Yes, technically it’s “daylight saving time.” Nobody in OC says it that way, and neither will we.)
The upside of a twice-a-year ritual is that it comes with a built-in reminder for the home stuff that’s easy to forget. And this fall, two things make the list look different for Orange County homeowners.
Why this fall back hits different in Orange County
It gets dark right in the middle of the expensive hours. In Huntington Beach, the sun sets around 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 31. On Sunday it’s closer to 5 p.m., and by the end of November it’s down to about 4:43. If you’re on a Southern California Edison time-of-use plan, the highest rates hit between 4 and 9 p.m. (5 to 8 p.m. on the TOU-D-5-8PM plan). Earlier darkness means lights, heat, cooking and TV all pile into that window.
A big rain year could be coming. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center says a strong to very strong El Niño is likely through early 2027, with better than 83% odds as of its October update. NOAA’s winter outlook leans wetter than average for California and the Southwest. No forecast guarantees a soggy January, but a gutter you clean in November is a lot cheaper than a ceiling stain in February.
The takeaway: this year’s list leans on two things. Staying out of peak-rate hours, and getting the house ready for real rain.
Start with the clocks that actually cost you money
Your phone and laptop will handle themselves. The stove, microwave and car dashboard won’t, but those are just annoying.
The ones worth your attention are the clocks running your house:
- Sprinkler controller. If it doesn’t adjust on its own, it will run an hour off your schedule.
- Thermostat. Older programmable models don’t always update by themselves.
- Porch, landscape and security light timers. A mechanical timer set for 6 p.m. will now click on an hour after dark. Reset it, or swap it for a dusk-to-dawn sensor so you never think about it again.
- Pool and spa pump timers. On time-of-use rates, an hour of drift can push a pump into peak pricing.
Smoke and CO alarms: the California version
“Change your clocks, change your batteries” is the classic line. In California, it needs a footnote.
Since July 1, 2014, battery-only smoke alarms sold in California have had to come with a sealed battery that lasts at least 10 years. There’s no battery to swap. If yours is one of those, the fall back job is simple:
- Press the test button. A loud beep means you’re good.
- Check the manufacture date on the back. The U.S. Fire Administration says to replace smoke alarms every 10 years.
- If it’s hardwired with a backup battery, swap the backup now.
Carbon monoxide alarms are required in California single-family homes with a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage. If you have a gas stove, furnace, water heater or attached garage, that’s you. Hit test on those too, and check whether yours is a combo unit with a sealed battery or one that still takes replaceable batteries.
Get the house ready for El Niño
If the forecast holds, this is the section that pays off.
- Clean the gutters and downspouts. Leaves, palm debris, the occasional tennis ball. All of it has to go.
- Point water away from the house. Downspout extensions are cheap, and they keep water away from your foundation and out of the side yard.
- Clear yard and patio drains. Run a hose into them now. If the water backs up, you’d rather find out on a sunny afternoon.
- Look at the roof from the ground. Missing tiles, lifted shingles or flashing pulling away are worth a call to a roofer before the first big storm, when everyone else is calling too.
- Know where your sandbags are. Huntington Beach and Sunset Beach residents can pick up free sand and bags (limit 20 per household) at the City Corporate Yard on Gothard Street, the Edison Community Center and the Warner Fire Station. Elsewhere in the county, 15 Orange County Fire Authority stations stock both sand and bags, and most others carry empty bags. Bring your own shovel.
Reset the sprinklers for shorter days
Cooler nights and shorter days mean your yard needs less water than it did in August. Moulton Niguel Water District says it plainly in its fall guidance: outdoor plants need less water in fall than in summer.
While you’re at the controller:
- Cut the run times back for the season, then watch the yard for a week or two before adjusting again.
- Water between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m., the window the Municipal Water District of Orange County recommends, when less is lost to wind and evaporation.
- Turn the system off when rain is in the forecast, and leave it off for a few days after a real storm. If your controller has a rain sensor or a weather-based setting, now’s the time to switch it on.
Move lights and appliances out of the 4 to 9 p.m. squeeze
Most daylight savings checklists skip this one, and it’s the one with real money behind it.
With sunset near 5 p.m., the evening routine slides into peak pricing. You can’t move dinner, but you can move a lot of the rest:
- Run the dishwasher, washer and dryer after 9 p.m. or before 4 p.m. Most newer machines have a delay-start button.
- Schedule EV charging for overnight.
- Put outdoor lights on LED bulbs and a sensor or smart plug, so they’re only on when you need them.
- Warm the house before 4 p.m. on cold days instead of cranking the heat at 6.
Not sure which plan you’re on? It’s printed on your SCE bill. SCE’s winter rates run October through May, so the routine you set this week is the one you’ll live with until summer.
Yes, even OC homes need a heating check
Our winters are mild. Furnaces still tend to quit on the first cold night, right when every HVAC company in town is booked.
- Replace the furnace filter. Every 90 days is a common rule of thumb, sooner with pets.
- Run the heat now for a few minutes. A dusty smell the first time is normal. A burning smell that doesn’t fade isn’t.
- Schedule service for an older unit, especially if you can’t remember the last time someone looked at it.
- Reverse the ceiling fans. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends running them clockwise at low speed in winter to push warm air back down.
- Give space heaters space. Keep them at least 3 feet from anything that can burn.
Two tasks most checklists skip
Exercise your shut-off valves. The small valves under sinks and behind toilets (called angle stops) can seize if they sit untouched for years. Turn each one off and back on. The middle of a leak is the worst time to find out one is stuck.
Restock the emergency kit. Darker evenings and possible storm outages make this the right week. Test the flashlights, put in fresh batteries, replace expired water or food, and add a charged phone power bank.
Your daylight savings checklist at a glance
- Reset sprinkler, thermostat, light and pool timers
- Test smoke and CO alarms, check the dates, replace backup batteries
- Clean gutters, extend downspouts, clear drains
- Find your nearest sandbag pickup
- Cut sprinkler run times and shut them off for rain
- Shift laundry, dishes and EV charging out of 4 to 9 p.m.
- Change the furnace filter and test the heat
- Reverse ceiling fans to clockwise
- Exercise shut-off valves and restock the emergency kit
Thinking about selling in the spring?
Almost everything on this list is also on a pre-listing list. Clean gutters, working alarms, a heater that runs and a roof with no surprises all show up on a buyer’s inspection report. Getting them done now means fewer repair requests later.
If you’re planning a move in 2027 and want a second set of eyes on what to tackle first, talk to our team. We’re happy to walk through it with you.
And send this to the friend whose stove clock has been wrong since March.
Frequently asked questions
When does daylight saving time end in 2026?
Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 2 a.m. Clocks fall back one hour, and California returns to Pacific Standard Time. Clocks spring forward again on Sunday, March 14, 2027.
Is California getting rid of daylight saving time?
Not yet. Prop 7 (2018) lets the Legislature change the state’s clock rules with a two-thirds vote, but permanent daylight time would also need approval from Congress. SB 1197, a 2026 bill for year-round standard time, was held in committee in May 2026.
Do I need to change the battery in a 10-year smoke alarm?
No. Sealed 10-year alarms don’t have a replaceable battery. Test them monthly, and replace the whole unit 10 years after the manufacture date printed on the back, or sooner if it chirps or fails a test.
Editor’s note: Utility rates, sandbag sites and local alarm requirements can change. Check with SCE, your city and your local fire department for the latest.
