The return of solar time has allowed Italy to reduce electricity consumption by 300 million kWh and carbon dioxide emissions by 140,000 tons. The news about the return of solar time had an immediate impact on electric production and energy consumption. Electric companies have seen a significant reduction in operational costs, while the population has acquired awareness of how effectively to use electricity. The environmental effect was also evident, with estimated reductions in carbon dioxide emissions of around 140,000 tons.

This result is due to several factors, including reduced carbon dioxide emissions during electrical production and overall energy consumption reduction. Calculating these benefits relies on the average electricity cost of €0.314 per kWh, inclusive of taxes, applied to residential customers with enhanced protection, according to the Regulatory Authority for Energy Networks and Environment (ARERA) data.

In the long term, the benefits become even more consistent.

According to Terna's analysis, between 2004 and 2026, the legal hour has allowed Italy to reduce electricity consumption by over 12.3 billion kilowatt-hours, generating a comprehensive economic savings of approximately 2.4 billion euros.

The comments from readers have been positive, but some have criticized the use of public force to promote the legal hour, considering it an overly extreme method to achieve energy reduction goals. Some authors wrote that solar time was already underway, and that the importance of this news was limited.

Moreover, many have declared that the legal hour would not bring significant results regarding consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. However, many people embraced enthusiastically the idea of a shorter time frame, and they gained awareness on how to effectively use electricity during nighttime.