Fears of rising gas bills may leave elderly people living in the Madingley tower block scared to turn on their heating this winter.

Residents in one-bedroom flats said they were worried heating costs would rise when the communal gas supply system is replaced and their monthly capped gas bills stop.

Each flat will have a gas meter installed, along with new radiators and boilers, which Kingston Council said would reduce bills.

But Shirley Costa, 76, who lives on the 10th floor of the Cambridge Estate tower, was not convinced.

The grandmother-of-six said: “You often read stories in the paper about OAPs who cannot afford to put their heating on.

“I’m one of those people that feels the cold terribly. I’ll be honest, I’ll be scared to put it on.

“One main fear is I don’t know how much it will cost.”

A spokeswoman for Kingston Council said: “The one-bedroom properties did not have individual meters, but were charged through the rent.

“The cost of the gas was therefore pooled, meaning residents had no incentive to limit their heating use or those that kept their property cooler were effectively subsidising those who did not. This is not equitable or energy efficient.”

She said people would have a choice of pre-paid meters or quarterly bills.

Jill Preston, of the Cambridge Road Estate Community Group, asked who would pay the VAT on gas after the changeover. Before that, the council absorbed the cost.

A spokeswoman for campaign group Consumer Focus said the council should make sure people know about help they are entitled to if they were worried about energy bills.