The Waste of Daylight Share In 1907 the builder William Willett wrote a pamphlet called The Waste of Daylight (an original copy of which now resides in our Science and Technology collections). The pamphlet campaigned for Daylight Saving in the UK. 9 years later, in 1916, this came into effect in UK law and effectively changed how we experience the passing seasons. Read on to find out more about what Daylight Saving is and why Willett wanted it implemented... What is daylight saving time? Daylight saving time (DST) or summer time is the practice of advancing clocks during summer months so that sunrise and sunset are later each day according to the clock.