50L Home Secures £1.5 Million to Expand Water-Saving Pilot in England with Electrolux Group Partnership

The 50 Liter Home Coalition has secured £1.5 million in funding from Ofwat to launch a three-year pilot in England, building on results from a US trial that more than halved household indoor water consumption through water-efficient appliances and home design.

Funding supports larger UK water conservation trial

The 50 Liter Home Coalition (50L Home) has secured £1.5 million in funding from Ofwat, the regulator of water and wastewater services in England and Wales, to launch a new pilot aimed at reducing domestic water consumption.

Expected to begin in late 2026 and run for three years, the pilot will involve up to 150 homes across England. It follows a successful trial in Los Angeles, where participating households achieved an average indoor water consumption of 79 liters per person per day, compared with the city’s average of 182 liters.

The initiative comes as the UK experiences increasingly frequent heatwaves and growing pressure on water resources.

Building on results from Los Angeles

Convened by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Economic Forum (WEF), the 50L Home Coalition aims to demonstrate how households can significantly reduce water use while improving quality of life through the use of high-efficiency appliances, fixtures and consumable products.

Appliances from Electrolux Group’s premium AEG brand, designed to support water and energy savings, will be supplied as part of the England pilot.

Elena Breda, SVP Product Strategy, Innovation, Sustainability at Electrolux Group, said: “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 evolving and to see that our appliances really make a difference in helping households reduce their water and energy consumption, and nudge consumers toward more sustainable, better living habits.”

Water-efficient technology delivers measurable savings

The Los Angeles pilot involved 15 retrofitted homes equipped with Electrolux water- and energy-efficient appliances over a two-year period.

According to the coalition, participants reduced their indoor water consumption without visible water monitoring sensors or prompts encouraging them to use less water. Households also reported easier and more enjoyable household routines.

On average, daily water use for laundry fell by 32 per cent, while daily hot water use declined by 48 per cent through the use of high-efficiency washing machines and laundry detergent designed to perform effectively in cold water.

Daily water consumption across kitchen sinks and dishwashers was reduced by 14 per cent, despite households completing 13 per cent more dishwasher cycles each week. Time spent at the sink also fell by an average of 13 per cent as activities such as pre-rinsing and soaking dishes were reduced.

Breda said: “The results of the Los Angeles pilot show that high-efficiency appliances and smart home design can make a measurable difference in homes. This is about creating solutions that people enjoy using every day, while delivering significant water, energy, and cost savings and making sustainable living achievable at scale.”

Addressing water security and climate challenges

The England pilot is intended to demonstrate how smart metering and water-efficient technologies can help households reduce resource consumption while supporting wider sustainability objectives.

The 50L Home Coalition is jointly coordinated by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the World Economic Forum. Its members include Electrolux Group, IKEA, Kohler, and Procter & Gamble.

According to the coalition, 50L Home addresses two global challenges—water security and climate change—by rethinking domestic water consumption and promoting more sustainable living.