IT was a leap of faith when biomedical scientist Dianne(corr) Hutchens opted for a relatively untried method of heating her home.

Last year Miss Hutchens, 49, of Tyrrell Avenue, Welling, decided to dispense with the gas central heating in her four-bedroom mid-terrace home and use the air to provide her with heating and hot water.

Having already installed solar panels on her roof, which have proved to be “spectacularly successful” she decided to commit herself completely to alternative energy sources.

Miss Hutchens had chosen ground source heat but discovered her garden was not large enough so she opted for the far less common air source heating.

And she promised to let us know how successful her alternative heating was over the winter months.

She could not have had a more thorough test than last winter, the coldest for 30 years, and it came through with flying colours.

There were some initial hiccups with the installation which cost £10,000 - more than she had anticipated.

Miss Hutchens explained: “The tank had to be moved because my airing cupboard was not tall enough to take it and I had to have a special vent from the loft because the system uses pressurised water.”

She will also have to install new radiators which will be 30 per cent larger than her existing ones, because the water is at a lower temperature.

The new system heats a whole tank of water to 58 degrees and it is set to heat water just before it is used.

Miss Hutchens says her gas bill has gone from £67 a month, to zero, although her electricity bill has risen slightly.

She said: “I am really pleased I had it done and I would recommend people to have a look at it.

“One of my friends is having an air source pump fitted to heat his office and another friend and my parents are installing solar panels.”

AIR source heat pumps work by extracting the heat in the air, even when temperatures are well below freezing.

The pump, which is about the size of a storage heater, needs to be installed outside, fitted either to a wall on free standing on the ground, with plenty of space to allow for free flowing air.

The system runs on electricity, which is why Miss Hutchens’ electericity bill rose slightly.

It is estimated the system can cut heating costs by up to 50 per cent, but are at their most efficient when not generating very hot temperatures or water.

People with gas central heating could save up to £300 a year on heating bills and 830 kilos of carbon dioxide.

For people with more expensive forms of heating, such as electricity or oil, the savings in both cash and emissions are said to be much higher.