Hampton, NH – October 17, 2001 – Unitil Corporation (AMEX:UTL) announced today that its 2000 Annual Report to Shareholders has received top honors in two nation-wide competitions. This is the fourth consecutive year Unitil has received national recognition for its Annual Report.

In all, Unitil’s Annual Report received five first place awards, two second place, and one third place. It was named "Best Overall Annual Report" by American Business Communicators (ABC), receiving awards in all six categories of the judging. It also received two first-place awards in another national competition sponsored by the American Society of Professional Communicators.

Said Unitil’s Chairman and CEO Robert G. Schoenberger, "Unitil is a great company -- strong and independent, with an entrepreneurial character. Our Annual Report reflects those attributes, and we are pleased that the communications community has again recognized the high quality of our work."

Tied with Unitil for the Overall First Place Award from ABC were Ford Motor Company, NPS Pharmaceuticals, and ICN Pharmaceuticals. Unitil’s awards from ABC were:

• Overall Award -- First Place
• Cover Design -- First Place
• Photo/Illustration -- First Place
• Narrative/Presentation -- Third Place
• Letter to Shareholders -- Second Place
• Financial Presentation -- Second Place

Unitil is a public utility holding company with subsidiaries providing electric service in New Hampshire, electric and gas service in Massachusetts and energy services throughout the Northeast. Its subsidiaries include Concord Electric Company, Exeter & Hampton Electric Company, Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company, Unitil Power Corp., Unitil Realty Corp., Unitil Service Corp. and its unregulated business unit Unitil Resources, Inc. Usource L.L.C. is a subsidiary of Unitil Resources, Inc. The Usource product line of Internet-based energy brokering and related products and services is available at www.usourceonline.com.

Contact
Don Hudson
hudson@unitil.com