STAMFORD, CT – Earlier this month HomeServe USA, a provider of emergency home repair programs, announced that it has launched a fleet of company-branded service vehicles in the northeastern U.S. AutomotiveFleet contacted HomeServe USA to get more details about their plans for this new fleet.

HomeServe USA is the U.S.-based branch of HomeServe, a UK company that also has operations in the UK, France, Spain, Italy, and Belgium. In the U.S., the company’s total fleet consists of 200 vehicles, of which the 140 vehicles announced as part of the company’s new fleet in the U.S. are service vans, according to company spokesperson Myles Meehan.

“HomeServe is undergoing a process of upgrading older vehicles that were part of an existing fleet of service vans,” Meehan said. “These vehicles were acquired as part of the National Grid Energy Services business and are based in this region.” 

After HomeServe USA acquired the fleet from NGES, the company decided it needed to implement a vehicle replacement strategy and went about gathering data before deciding on a new make and model for its service van fleet.

“According to Lou King, HomeServe’s VP of Operations, we took a two-step process in determining the vehicle replacement strategy,” Meehan said. “First, we analyzed how the vehicles were being used and then evaluated the individual vehicles for emissions, mileage, and maintenance history.  The existing fleet of service vans is mostly comprised of several Chevy models with an average age of 5-plus years. HomeServe undertook an assessment process of alternatives and determined that the Ford Econoline van was best suited to meet our needs moving forward.”

Although the company is now transitioning to this branded group of vehicles, the primary reason for their use is to ensure former NGES customers are aware of HomeServe USA taking over as a service provider in the region.

“The National Grid Energy Services (NGES) acquisition offered us an opportunity to re-brand that business and promote the HomeServe name regionally in the territories previously served by NGES,” Meehan said. “The new branded vehicles do represent an effort to increase awareness of HomeServe in this region.  This is the only area here in the US where HomeServe has an employed network of service technicians in branded vehicles.”

Meehan said that in the other areas, HomeServe delivers service through a closely managed network of independent contractors from various trades.

“Like in other areas of the country, here in the northeast HomeServe is expanding the scope of service plans available to customers and the number of territories served as we form new partnerships,” he said. 

By Greg Basich