ENERGY bills for some homes retrofitted by Cork County Council have more than halved, figures released by the local authority show.

Cork County Council plans to retrofit nearly 90 homes in Bandon over the next two years.

This year 23 homes in Castledon Court, Castledon Mews and Haigs Terrace, Bandon, are set to be upgraded, followed in 2027 by 65 homes in Deerpark, Bandon.

According to the authority, a total of 990 council-owned homes have been retrofitted to date, including 139 so-called Deep Energy Retrofits.

The works typically include improved insulation and more efficient heating systems. The measures have seen energy bills drop considerably in retrofitted homes. The council has released figures for houses in Ard Na Gréine, Courtmacsherry, that have benefitted from the overhaul: one home saw bills fall from €2,920 to €1,191, another from €2,230 to €898, and a third from €2,535 to €1,022.

Cork County Council said the programme cuts CO2 emissions helping to meet EU and Irish energy-efficiency regulations, as it works towards a lower-carbon housing portfolio by 2050.

A spokesperson for Cork County Council said: ‘For social tenants, an increase in the comfort levels of their homes provides a clear benefit towards their health and wellbeing, while the reduction in their fuel bills, through more efficient heating systems and better heat retention, can help to alleviate the effects of fuel poverty.

‘For Cork County Council, the retrofitting works lead to a better standard of housing stock, which in turn improves the service [it] can provide.’

Cllr Isobel Towse (SD) recently highlighted the importance of council homes, noting that social housing tenants pay rent according to their income and that the average rent charged by Cork County Council was €360 per month.

According to figures Cllr Towse requested, the lowest rent charged in 2025 was €45 per month for caravans, with the highest rent charged at around €1,600 monthly.