Decisions needed on what to do about replacing Pimlico’s ageing heating system

Upgrading the UK’s oldest district heating system, which powers more than 3,000 homes, will be ‘simply unaffordable’, according to a leaseholder impacted by the costs.

Ernest Strafford, of Lillington Gardens in Pimlico, said the final price for fixing the Pimlico District Heating Undertaking (PDHU) could be “potentially eye-watering”.

He said: “The biggest issue for us is that it’s simply unaffordable for all residents. The cost pressure on the Housing Revenue Account and leaseholder bills is potentially eye-watering.”

Mr Strafford is instead calling on Westminster City council, which is responsible for the PDHU, to immediately ‘cap off’ areas of the network experiencing significant leaks and switch households to individual boilers.

Flat owners in four-bedroomed homes could pay up to £66,000 for the new system, according to a report by the Sunday Times in November. Owners of a one-bedroom flat or studio may be asked to fork out £40,000.

According to Westminster City council, the figures quoted are projections and the scheme is not at a stage where final costings for leaseholders can be provided.

Councillor Liza Begum, cabinet member for housing services, said historic underinvestment in Pimlico’s heat network has led to constant leaks. She said: “Maintenance of the PDHU is now costing £3.5m per annum. We urgently need a long-term solution rather than relying on increasingly costly repairs on an ageing system.

“We haven’t made any decisions. Reducing costs for residents and leaseholders will be a central consideration in our plans.”

According to a council report, a final decision on upgrading the network isn’t expected until early 2026 with phased construction not expected to start until 2027 or 2028.

The local authority’s options include creating a larger heat network covering the south of Westminster, powering the PDHU with thermal batteries full of waste heat captured in East London and ferried down the River Thames, or installing a water source heat pump in the river.

All these options would require either replacing or refurbishing the existing network and piping to properties. The council is also considering whether to use electric or gas boilers with a water source heat pump.

The council said it will cover the costs associated with its housing stock while the rest will be handed down to leaseholders, which Mr Strafford suggests is just under half of those affected. The final option is decommissioning the PDHU and installing individual electric heating to individual homes.

The council has not finalised how it will fund the project.

The report also shows £3.5m was spent on maintenance in 2023 while an average of 3,000 leaks and repair jobs were reported per annum over the past two years. It also found an estimated 30 to 40 per cent of the PDHU’s energy is lost due to poor thermal efficiency.

According to the council, the PDHU is the oldest district heating system in the UK at 70 years old. The report read: “The PDHU pipework is decades beyond its design life and as a result, leaks are disruptive to residents, repairs are becoming increasingly expensive and insulation is of a substandard quality.”

The PDHU heats over 3,000 homes across Abbots Manor, Churchill Gardens, Lillington and Longmore and Russell House, as well as 50 commercial premises, three schools and a post office.

The PDHU was developed and built in the post-war period to help address poor air quality in central London. The network made use of waste heat from the nearby Battersea Power Station which was pumped through a tunnel under the Thames and distributed to homes within the district.

Pictured top: Ernest Strafford (Picture: Ernest Strafford)