I've been taking a peek at products which reveal to the user how much of a resource is being used, in a visually appealing, tangible way. A good source for these is MOMA's online exhibit of Design and the Elastic Mind.
This large red cord you see is called Standby, and it's meant to make consumption of energy more visible, as far as I can tell. Perhaps a little more conceptual than we want to go. But perhaps not?
This large red cord you see is called Standby, and it's meant to make consumption of energy more visible, as far as I can tell. Perhaps a little more conceptual than we want to go. But perhaps not?
