Power BI reverts to UTC time despite changing.

[Si_7777]

Following some online research I converted our UTC datatime value in desktop as follows;

When I publish this to the service the time shows corrrectly.

When the model refreshes in the service time reverts back to UTC

[Shubham_rai955]

This happens because Power BI Service runs on UTC time, even if your desktop report converts it locally. During a refresh, the service ignores your system’s timezone and reprocesses everything in UTC.

Here’s how to fix it properly:

Option 1: Convert time using a fixed offset
If you always want a specific timezone (for example UTC+10), use this in Power Query:

 

= DateTimeZone.SwitchZone([MovementDate], 10)

Replace 10 with your offset hours (e.g., for India use 5.5).

Option 2: Handle conversion dynamically
If you need the conversion to match user local time, do it in a DAX measure (since Power BI Service always stays UTC):

 

LocalTime = VAR OffsetHours = 5.5 // Example: IST RETURN 'Table'[MovementDate] + (OffsetHours/24)

Option 3: Adjust in data source
If possible, adjust the timezone at the data source or during ETL instead of inside Power BI.

[v-ssriganesh]

Hello @Si_7777,

Hope everything’s going great with you. Just checking in has the issue been resolved or are you still running into problems? Sharing an update can really help others facing the same thing.

Thank you.

[Si_7777]

Still an issue altough less of one as UK clocks have gone back from BST to GMT so now the reports are showing the correct time.  However this will happen again when the clocks go forward.  I tested the function in the link here 

• https://willpage.dev/2020/06/26/converting-utc-to-new-zealand-time-in-m-power-query/

This does spush time forward an hour but I need to work it so it doesnt when we are in GMT standard time.

[v-ssriganesh]

Hello @Si_7777,

Thanks for the update.

The function from the blog post you tested is designed for New Zealand time, which uses UTC+12 / UTC+13 with opposite DST rules (starts in September, ends in April). That’s why it incorrectly adds an hour during UK winter it's applying NZ summer time logic.

Replace your current custom column with a UK DST-aware formula in Power Query.

[v-ssriganesh]

Hello @Si_7777, 

Could you please confirm if your query has been resolved by the provided solutions? This would be helpful for other members who may encounter similar issues.

[Si_7777]

Thanks for reply.  I alterered the M code in that function to accomodate for UK.  I experiemented changing the start and end of summer (March-October) for the UK but nothing worked .  The IsSummerTime bit of the fuction returned TRUE whatever dates I past into the function.

[v-ssriganesh]

Hello @Si_7777,

I created a custom M function that dynamically converts UTC to UK local time, correctly handling daylight saving time (BST/GMT). This function works consistently in both Desktop and Service refreshes.

Custom M Function: fn_ConvertUTCtoUK

(UTCDateTime as datetime) as datetime =>

let

    dt = DateTime.From(UTCDateTime),

    Year = Date.Year(dt),

    BSTStart = #datetime(Year, 3, 31, 1, 0, 0)

        - #duration(0, 0, 0, Number.From(Date.DayOfWeek(#date(Year, 3, 31), Day.Sunday))),

    BSTEnd = #datetime(Year, 10, 31, 2, 0, 0)

        - #duration(0, 0, 0, Number.From(Date.DayOfWeek(#date(Year, 10, 31), Day.Sunday))),

    IsBST = dt >= BSTStart and dt < BSTEnd,

    LocalDateTime = if IsBST then dt + #duration(0, 1, 0, 0) else dt

in
    LocalDateTime

Then, I added a Custom Column in my table using:

= fn_ConvertUTCtoUK([MovementDate (UTC)])

Power BI Desktop Output:

(Screenshot: showing the correct BST adjustment. LocalMovementDate is +1 hour between March and October)

Power BI Service Output:

Screenshot: showing the same LocalMovementDate results remain consistent after refresh. confirming the Service now respects BST/GMT logic correctly.

The converted time remains accurate after publishing and scheduled refresh in the Service. the output is identical to Desktop. This ensures your reports always display correct UK local time, regardless of whether they are refreshed in Desktop (local machine) or Service (UTC). For your reference, I’ve attached the .pbix file.

Thanks,
Ganesh Singamshetty.

[v-ssriganesh]

Hello @Si_7777, 

Could you confirm whether your query has been resolved with the solutions provided? This information can assist others facing similar issues.

Thank you for being a part of the Microsoft Fabric Community.

[v-ssriganesh]

Hello @Si_7777,

We hope you're doing well. Could you please confirm whether your issue has been resolved or if you're still facing challenges? Your update will be valuable to the community and may assist others with similar concerns.

Thank you.

[v-ssriganesh]

Hello @Si_7777,
Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft fabric community forum.

Where Power BI reverts to UTC time after a refresh in the Power BI Service occurs because the service processes data using UTC, overriding local time zone conversions applied in Power BI Desktop.

To resolve this, you can adjust your data model to explicitly handle time zone offsets using Power Query, ensuring consistency across Desktop and Service. Instead of relying on DateTimeZone.ToLocal(), consider using a fixed or dynamic offset based on your region’s time zone rules.

For detailed guidance, check out these official Microsoft resources:

• Power Query DateTimeZone Functions – Learn how to manage time zones effectively.
• Power BI Data Refresh Best Practices – Tips to handle time zone issues during refreshes.

If you need further assistance, feel free to share more details about your time zone or data source and I’d be happy to help.

Best regards,
Ganesh Singamshetty.

[Pragati11]

Hi @Si_7777 

There is already a thread with solution for this issue:

https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Service/Power-BI-service-showing-UTC-date-despite-local-ti...

[Si_7777]

I can’t believe this is an issue its extremely frustrating that I have implement some fudge just to get time values to display correctly in report online that are correct in development.

[Pragati11]

Hi @Si_7777 

I understand your frustration here. But don't think you have any other option.

You can always go to Fabric ideas and vote for this idea here:

https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Fabric-Ideas/UTC-to-Local-Time-Conversion-in-Power-BI-serv...