Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$ 249.9	$ 297.8	$ 282.1
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustments	28.9	(35.4)	(45.5)
Pension and post retirement benefit plans’ service costs and net actuarial (losses) gains, net of taxes of ($1.0), $18.9 and $10.7	4.0	(40.3)	(15.5)
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments, net of taxes of ($0.2), $0.1 and $0.2	0.6	(1.2)	(0.3)
Unrealized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, net of taxes of $0.4, $0.5 and ($0.3)	(0.8)	(1.4)	1.4
Other comprehensive income (loss)	32.7	(78.3)	(59.9)
Comprehensive income	282.6	219.5	222.2
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	6.8	4.8	4.8
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO HUBBELL	$ 275.8	$ 214.7	$ 217.4