The 50L Home Coalition is launching a three-year pilot in England after securing £1.5 million in funding from Ofwat.
Expected to begin later this year, up to 150 homes are set to be equipped with water- and energy-efficient technologies, including appliances from AEG.
The project follows a two-year pilot in Los Angeles, where it’s said participants reduced average indoor water consumption to 79 litres per person per day, compared with the city’s average of 182 litres.
Organised by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Economic Forum (WEF), the 50L Home Coalition aims to explore how technology, home design and consumer behaviour can help reduce household water and energy use.
The England pilot will involve participating households being fitted with technologies including AEG appliances designed to improve water and energy efficiency. Calina Gavril, experience marketing director for product line care at the Electrolux Group, said: “At AEG, we believe appliance innovation can play an important role in helping households use water and energy more efficiently while maintaining high standards of comfort, care and performance.
“Through the 50L Home UK pilot, selected AEG technologies will be tested in defined household settings to better understand their potential to support lower water and energy use in everyday home living. We are pleased to support the pilot and contribute to the evidence base for more resource-efficient homes.”
Elena Breda, SVP product strategy, innovation, sustainability at the Electrolux Group, added: “The England pilot will take the US pilot to the next level. We are scaling up from 15 to 150 homes and, as smart metering is prevalent in the UK, we can take advantage of this data instead of collecting it manually from each home.
“It is very exciting to see the 50L Home Coalition evolving and that our appliances really make a difference in helping households reduce their water and energy consumption, nudging consumers toward more sustainable, better living habits.
“The results of the Los Angeles pilot show that high-efficiency appliances and smart home design can make a measurable difference in homes.”
According to the Coalition, the Los Angeles pilot involved 15 retrofitted homes fitted with water- and energy-efficient appliances. Participants reduced water use without visible water-monitoring sensors or prompts encouraging them to use less.
The project reported a 32% reduction in daily water use for laundry and a 48% reduction in daily hot water use. Daily water use across the kitchen sink and dishwasher fell by 14%, despite households running 13% more dishwasher cycles each week, while average time spent using the sink decreased by 13%.
The England pilot is intended to generate further data on how connected technologies, home design and household habits can contribute to lower domestic water consumption.