London alone could reduce its water consumption by as much as 16 billion litres a year (PDF) if residents would all use a dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand, according to a new study by home appliance company Electrolux.

The study uses figures from researchers at the University of Bonn, who found that the average person uses 10.5 litres of water per day when washing dishes by hand. The most efficient dishwashers, on the other hand, use just 2.27 litres of water daily while also requiring less energy to heat water, according to Electrolux.

The company has launched a new Website — Watersavings — focused on ways to reduce water consumption.

The launch comes on the heels of a European Environment Agency report that warns water use in many parts of the continent is “unsustainable.”

Simple efficiency efforts could make a major difference, according to Electrolux. For example, if all households in the 22 European countries studied were to use an efficient dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand, the EU could cut its water use by 990.2 million cubic metres of of water — more than the total annual water consumption of Denmark.

“Everyone can play a role in solving the challenge of water scarcity: consumers, by adopting new technologies and making smart choices in their daily life; policymakers, by encouraging consumers to do so, for instance with legislation and incentive programmes that speed up the replacement of inefficient appliances; industry, by reducing water use and emissions, and equally importantly, to develop and offer products that are continuously more efficient and climate smart,” said Henrik Sundström, head of sustainability affairs for AB Electrolux.

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