Total Equity (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Jan. 01, 2020
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning equity	$ 1,960.5
Net income	75.7	$ 73.8
Other comprehensive loss	(22.4)	$ 8.3
Ending equity	$ 1,928.5
Cash dividends per common share (USD per share)	$ 0.91	$ 0.84
Common Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning equity	$ 0.6	$ 0.6
Ending equity	0.6	0.6
Additional Paid-in Capital
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning equity	0.0	1.3
Stock-based compensation	11.6	4.1
Acquisition/surrender of common shares	(10.4)	(5.3)
Directors deferred compensation	(1.2)	0.1
Ending equity	0.0	0.2
Retained Earnings
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning equity	2,279.4	2,064.4
Net income	75.0	72.3
Reclassification of stranded tax effects		30.0
Acquisition/surrender of common shares	(34.1)	(6.3)
Cash dividends declared	(49.7)	(45.7)
Ending equity	2,269.6	2,114.7
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning equity	(332.9)	(285.7)
Other comprehensive loss	(22.4)	8.3
Reclassification of stranded tax effects		(30.0)
Ending equity	(355.3)	(307.4)
Total Hubbell Shareholders' Equity
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning equity	1,947.1	1,780.6
Net income	75.0	72.3
Other comprehensive loss	(22.4)	8.3
Stock-based compensation	11.6	4.1
Acquisition/surrender of common shares	(44.5)	(11.6)
Cash dividends declared	(49.7)	(45.7)
Directors deferred compensation	(1.2)	0.1
Ending equity	1,914.9	1,808.1
Non- controlling interest
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning equity	13.4	18.3
Net income	0.7	1.5
Dividends to noncontrolling interest	(0.5)	(1.0)
Ending equity	$ 13.6	$ 18.8
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 \| Retained Earnings
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative effect from adoption of CECL accounting standard			$ (1.0)
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 \| Total Hubbell Shareholders' Equity
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative effect from adoption of CECL accounting standard			$ (1.0)

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