Madingley residents left in the cold and out of pocket because of a lack of central heating could be in line for extra compensation.

Tenants who first returned to the fire-hit tower block 10 months ago were given heaters and a daily allowance because gas had not been reconnected since the July 2010 blaze.

The service has still not been restored 10 months later, and many residents have claimed the recent cold snap has left electricity bills soaring and their flats cold.

Single parent Nichola Wicks, who is raising her three and nine-year-old daughters in their seventh-storey flat, said her heating costs had risen from £7 a week to nearly £50.

She said her £2 a day compensation from the council did not cover the increase.

Shirley Costa, who lives on the 10th floor, said: “I don’t have a bill above £300 ever, but this one was.

"I thought ‘oh my God where’s that come from?’

“It’s not so warm. You can put these electric things on, but it does not circulate the air. With gas central heating, it circulates the air.”

Another resident, Catherine Parmenter, said: “All the residents are really suffering – it is an abysmal statement of what the council think of their tenants. I am getting really fed up with it all.”

A spokesman for Kingston Council said the delay had been unavoidable.

He said: “We are dealing with gas contractors to get this switched on as soon as possible.

“We recognise there are concerns about the compensation given for loss of heating and are attempting to do an assessment of the actual costs.”

Gas was originally supplied through a pipe inside the building, but new regulations mean it must now be run up the outside.

The suppliers could not use the scaffolding used in the original repairs, and had to wait to erect a new structure in November.