How many hours is UTC behind BST?
As abbreviations, BST is always 1 hour ahead of UTC: UTC is UTC+0 and BST is UTC+1. To convert, add 1 hours.
Check which label you actually need: BST (British Time is on GMT today). A time written with an abbreviation that is not in use is usually meant as the local time, so convert between the places instead: right now BST and UTC show the same time.
When the UTC to BST time difference changes
For most of the year BST is 1 hour ahead of UTC. From 25 October to 31 December 2026, BST and UTC show the same time instead, because the two places change their clocks on different dates. Meetings booked by the usual gap land an hour off in those weeks.
| Dates | BST vs UTC | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 25 October 2026 to 31 December 2026 | same time | 68 days |
| 1 January 2027 to 27 March 2027 | same time | 86 days |
| 28 March 2027 to 30 October 2027 | 1 hour ahead | 217 days |
| 31 October 2027 to 31 December 2027 | same time | 62 days |
When UTC and BST are both at work
- When BST is 1 hour ahead of UTC: 7 shared office hours, 09:00 to 16:00 in UTC (10:00 to 17:00 in BST).
- When BST and UTC show the same time: 8 shared office hours, 09:00 to 17:00 in UTC (09:00 to 17:00 in BST).