Dive Brief:
- Beginning Feb. 2, Northeast Utilities will change its name and begin doing business under the brand name Eversource Energy.
- The largest energy delivery company in New England said the change is aimed at unifying the organization's focus and appearance. All six of the company's utility subsidiaries will take on the new name.
- The change comes several years after Northeast Utilities acquired Boston-based NStar,and observers say the rebranding could cost millions.
Dive Insight:
It's a new year, and beginning Feb. 2 Northeast Utilities and its subsidiaries will take on a new name.
“Energy is what brings us all together, and Eversource reflects the one-company focus we have been driving for the last few years,” said Tom May, chairman, president and CEO of Northeast Utilities. “Consolidating our brand was the obvious next step for us as we continually strive to improve energy delivery and customer service to our 3.6 million electricity and natural gas customers across the region.”
All of the company’s subsidiaries, including Connecticut Light and Power Co., NSTAR Electric, NSTAR Gas, Public Service Co. of New Hampshire, Western Massachusetts Electric Co. and Yankee Gas Services will adopt and operate under the Eversource name. Customers will receive more information regarding the brand change after the launch, the company said.
Observers say the timing of the change is strange, and they are wary of the potential costs. It was almost three years ago that Northeast Utilities closed on its acquisition of NStar, and the Middletown Press also raises concerns over who will foot the bill.
“We’re talking about a significant, significant amount to do this, easily a multi-million dollar endeavor that includes change the logos on company vehicles,” Bill Field, who runs FieldActivate, a communications company, told the newspaper. “This is a multi-year investment if it is being done right and it comes at tremendous cost. The benefit is that the new name gives the company an opportunity to be viewed in a new light.”
