Owners of properties in a former council estate in central London may each have to stump up as much as £66,000 towards a new eco-friendly heating system.

Residents on the estate in Pimlico, Westminster may have to pay towards a low carbon ‘heat network’ in order to help the council hit its Net Zero targets.

The £185million scheme would modernise the system, which contains 60-year-old pipes, and replace three gas boilers which require frequent repairs and are prone to leaks.

The project is expected to cost the owner of a one-bedroom flat £40,000 and could set residents of four-bedroom homes back by as much as £66,000.

Westminster City Council said modernising the system, which is the oldest of its kind and was once powered by Battersea Power Station just over the river, will contribute towards the local authority hitting its target of becoming Net Zero by 2030.

But residents criticised the high cost of the scheme, saying it would make their properties impossible to sell, the Times said.

Along with 3,000 homes, the ailing heating system supplies a library and schools.

Last week a burst hot water pipe closed a local community centre, which also left a car park on the estate stinking of sewage.

Ernest Strafford, who has owned his one-bedroom apartment on the estate since 2010, said the council should be prioritising building repairs rather than rigidly sticking to Net Zero targets and called the scheme a ‘joke’.

He said: ‘Why would I do this if I could get myself off the system altogether and put in something that didn’t have any leaks or problems for £5,000?’

Council officials said replacing the ageing pipes would cost £183million, but have discarded this plan due to their being difficult to reach and because it wouldn’t reduce emissions.

An alternative plan involving a centralised heat pump in the Thames would cost £211million.

Another possibility dismissed by council bosses due to ‘high energy costs and low carbon savings’ was the installation of individual electric water boilers in homes at an estimated cost between £1,500 and £5,000.

Proponents of the new network say it will save costs in the long run and that homeowners will benefit from being shielded from spikes in global energy prices.

Hemiko, the company behind the South Westminster Area Network (SWAN), said the heat network represented the cheapest solution.

Its chief executive Toby Heysham said: ‘Heat networks are the cheapest way to provide low carbon heating, providing a reliable and efficient way to heat homes and businesses.’

He added that the scheme would make use of ‘surplus heat’ that would otherwise go to waste, from sources such as the London Underground.

Councillor Liza Begum, Cabinet Member for Housing Services at Westminster City Council said: ‘The heating system needs to be replaced as a long-term solution to continuous leaks and disruption on the estate.’

‘We aim to provide cheap, efficient energy to residents and are working with them to find the best possible solution.

‘The figures stated are early projections and the final proposal will be subject to detailed, design, tender and consultation. Keeping costs down is a priority and we’ll provide as much support as we can.’