Air Source Heat Pumps: your questions answered

At Story Homes, we’re creating homes that are built for modern living – combining comfort, quality and sustainability. To achieve this, we use a range of modern heating solutions, and some of our developments now include Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) – an efficient, low-carbon way to heat your home.

We want to help you understand the benefits of ASHPs and address some of the common questions people have about them.

What is an ASHP?

An ASHP is a heating system that extracts heat from the outside air and uses it to warm your home and hot water. Think of it like a fridge in reverse – it moves heat rather than creating it, making it an efficient alternative to traditional gas or electric boilers.

How does it work?

ASHPs use electricity to transfer heat from the air into your home. Even when it’s cold outside, they can capture and concentrate this heat to keep your rooms warm and cosy. Inside your home, it works with underfloor heating or radiators to provide a consistent, comfortable temperature.

Are Air Source Heat Pumps good for the environment?

ASHPs produce lower carbon emissions than traditional heating systems because they use renewable energy from the air and electricity from 100% renewable sources. When paired with a well-insulated Story home, they can significantly reduce your carbon footprint while helping you save on energy use.

Are they expensive to run?

While ASHPs use electricity, they are highly efficient – often producing three times the heat energy of the electricity they consume. Combined with our high insulation standards, this can make them more cost-effective than traditional heating systems over time.

Are they noisy?

Not at all. Modern ASHPs are quieter than a standard fridge. At Story Homes, our installations are carefully positioned to minimise noise, so they won’t disturb your outdoor space or daily life.

Do they take up a lot of space?

ASHPs are compact – the external unit is similar in size to a standard air conditioning unit, and indoor components take up no more space than a boiler and hot water cylinder combined.

Why choose a Story home with an ASHP?

At developments like Summerpark in Dumfries, homes are being built with ASHPs as part of a future-focused approach to heating. Homeowners can look forward to:

• Consistent warmth all year round
• Lower energy use and bills
• A home built for the future, combining comfort with sustainability

ASHPs are a practical, eco-friendly choice and part of our commitment to building homes that are better for people and the planet.