One month after heating charges were doubled, Shanklin Village residents have been their told leaking windows must remain until next year.

The Government now faces demands to release £4m of funding owed to freezing tenants and leaseholders for urgent repairs.

Residents of the Sutton estate expressed fury when it was announced that substandard windows would not be replaced until 2010 at the earliest.

The chilling news came weeks after Sutton Housing Partnership (SHP) announced fuel bills were increasing from £8 to £16, with leaseholders paying £4,000 each for gas mains renewals.

One resident, Lee Smith, 37, said: “The windows are shocking. They are 4mm single glazed picture glass. They would not pass any modern health and safety standards.

“When it is windy they open themselves. We are probably paying more to heat our two-bedroom maisonette than people in four-bedroom houses and most of it is going straight out of the windows.”

Conservative parliamentary candidate Phillipa Stroud urged Sutton Council to “act reasonably” when clawing back money for new piping.

After a residents’ meeting last week, she said: “None of us could take that hit all at once, particularly in this economic climate.

“Both the Government and the local council have the power to ensure tenants do not freeze and leaseholders do not go under financially. I urge them to act creatively to address a situation that is causing real fear.”

A joint statement read: “The London Borough of Sutton and Sutton Housing Partnership (SHP) feel that the recent meeting with Shanklin Village Estate’s tenants and leaseholders was both positive and constructive. The meeting was well attended by residents with senior representatives from the council and SHP also present. We are currently considering all the points that have been raised.”

Struggling tenants are advised to call the customer services team on freephone 0800 195 5552.