Cuba to maintain daylight saving time until 2027

The Cuban government has announced that the country will maintain daylight saving time until November 7, 2027, to mitigate a severe energy crisis. By keeping the UTC−4 time zone throughout the winter, authorities aim to prevent an estimated 126-megawatt increase in power outages during evening peak demand. This includes a 76-megawatt reduction in artificial lighting needs and 50 megawatts gained from solar photovoltaic generation during early evening hours.

The decision comes as the National Electric System faces significant instability, with some areas experiencing daily power interruptions exceeding 20 hours. Technical reports indicate that 11 of the nation's 15 thermoelectric units have lacked necessary maintenance, and the Antonio Guiteras plant, the island's largest generator, has faced unexpected turbine failures.

Users are cautioned that mobile devices may not automatically reflect this change. Most smartphones rely on the IANA time zone database (tzdata), which still contains the previous instruction to revert to standard time on November 1, 2026. Consequently, mobile phones may automatically set themselves back one hour on that date, requiring users to manually adjust their settings to UTC−4 until software updates are released.