Warning Bulb enables you to visually check your electricity usage. It’s well known greenhouse gases source most of its CO2 from power plants. The generated electricity is not always put to efficient use. 11% of the power is wasted through plugged in idle appliances. The idea behind Warning Bulb is to prevent wasted energy by showing you how much money you’re spending and how fast.

Similar products are already flooding the market but Warning Bulb takes a different approach, one that may finally put you and your wasteful attitudes in check because at the end of the day nobody likes it when their money is f*cked with.

How do the designers do it? The system is designed around the idea of a pre-paid electricity card controlled by a fuse box. Inserting the card into the fuse box lets you check your “balance” and shows exactly how much power you’re using. The balance is determined in electricity per minute (EPM) which reflects how much you’re paying in real time. The more you use, the yellower the bulb becomes and once you approach your allotted amount, the “W” in the center flashes.

It’s an interesting idea and definitely could teach people to be more frugal. Years ago my cellular bill always topped out over $150. I placed myself on a pre-paid wireless plan just so I became consciously aware of my calling habits and adjusted according. In a perfect world where infrastructure wasn’t such an issue, a similar system for electricty might be a good thing.

Designers: Ga-Ye Kim, Young-Duk Song & Yoon-Sun Yang