To the Editor:

Do you think it is possible to slash your home energy bill in half or more, reduce the amount you pollute by 75 percent, save money, and make your living space more comfortable too? Edward T. Borer’s family has and we can too. Mr. Borer, Princeton University’s Energy Plant Manager by day, shared his very practical story during a recent Sustainable Princeton lunch-and-learn program. Here are some take away tips from Ted’s talk:

The key to win-win home improvement is understanding how we use energy in our own homes, what kinds of energy we use, and where there is waste. Details are important and projects should be customized to your needs. Understand what uses the most energy in your house (for example a home TV/set-top box might be an energy hog), then invest in improvements related to the biggest energy costs to have the biggest impact.

Ease into changes by starting with easy or free actions. Delay bigger, harder projects until they make sense or until you must replace an expensive item, such as a furnace, anyway. Mr. Borer advises us to consider ease of use, aesthetics, whether you will stay long enough to recoup your investment, or if a project will improve your home’s value.

We thank Mr. Borer for sharing his experience and hope to hear more inspiring stories and tips from Princetonians who are shifting to better and lower impact lifestyles!

Annarie Lyles, Alexandra Bar-Cohen

Sustainable Princeton Residents Committee Co-Chairs