SOUTHEAST MISSOURIAN DEBUTS '$ENSIBLE HOME' COLUMN

On Sunday, the Southeast Missourian debuts a new column geared to saving readers money at home. It will appear each Sunday in the Life section.

Author James Dulley has been writing a newspaper column since 1982. For years, the column was known as "Cut Your Utility Bills."

About two years ago, he changed the name to "$ensible Home," and broadened the scope of do-it-yourself projects that can save homeowners dollars.

"The column is still heavily oriented toward money-saving topics," Dulley told the Southeast Missourian from his home in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Topics cover a broad range: heating, cooling, appliances, building methods, indoor air quality, landscaping, solar, water, lighting, etc. All his columns include an informational graphic.

Dulley's column appears in more than 400 newspapers. He also writes a column on cutting utility bills for more than 30 magazines put out by rural electric cooperatives.

Dulley said he continues to be amazed by the reader feedback to his column.

"I receive about 400,000 letters a year from readers and 100,000 visits from people on my web site," he said.

Dulley's web site can be found at www.dulley.com

Much of the feedback involves requests for his update bulletins or buyer's guide, which carry a minimal cost.

"I receive a lot of reader questions as well, and I use that information as the basis for my columns," he said. "My column is really geared for do-it-yourselfers, but I also talk about unique kind of construction that can save a lot of money that people may not know about."

For example, an upcoming column addresses cork flooring, which is making a comeback. It's a hard surface, but absorbs noises and cushions items that are dropped.

In one column, he talks about an experience he had helping his mother pick out replacement windows.

"I just sat there while the salesman gave his spiel. He didn't know who I was. Some of the claims he made were incredible," he said. Through his column, Dulley tries to educate people so they know the terminology and won't be taken in by unscrupulous builders or salesmen.

Dulley has an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA in marketing/management from the University of Cincinnati. He was a doctoral candidate in technology at Harvard University.