Signaling conservation requests isn't dystopian.
Sometimes, we ration equal amounts, based per person.
Sometimes, we ration unequal amounts, based on how many dollars/denars/quatloos each person is willing to pay.
Sometimes, we ration unequal amounts, by asking people who don't really need a good to voluntarily stop consuming it.
There are pros and cons to each system - but all of them are rationing systems.
I think it is a victory if the community can work together to use less power when there is less supply rather then people using as much as they want and forcing rolling blackouts.