Beginning this year, daylight-saving time will come a few weeks earlier than in recent years – three weeks to be exact.

Americans will have to spring ahead the second Sunday in March from now on. This year, daylight-saving falls on March 11. In years past, the first Sunday in April was always the time to set clocks an hour forward.

The change comes per the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that President George Bush signed Aug. 8, 2005. Clocks will also “fall back” in November instead of late October.

The purpose of the Energy Act, according to the legislation and supporters of the plan, is that the extra few weeks will save 100,000 barrels of oil a day because there will be more daylight hours. Congress retains the right to resume original 2005 daylight-saving time schedule once the Department of Energy is finished with its study of the new time change and reports the findings.