Exhibit 31.1

                            CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
                  SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

                      CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CERTIFICATION

I, Niel C. Ellerbrook, certify that:

1.   I have  reviewed  this  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K of  Vectren  Utility
     Holdings, Inc.;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of
     a material  fact or omit to state a  material  fact  necessary  to make the
     statements made, in light of the circumstances  under which such statements
     were made,  not  misleading  with  respect  to the  period  covered by this
     report;

3.   Based on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
     information  included  in  this  report,  fairly  present  in all  material
     respects the financial  condition,  results of operations and cash flows of
     the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer(s) and I are  responsible for
     establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
     in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and have:

          (a) Designed such disclosure  controls and procedures,  or caused such
          disclosure   controls  and   procedures  to  be  designed   under  our
          supervision,  to ensure  that  material  information  relating  to the
          registrant,  including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to
          us by others within those entities,  particularly during the period in
          which this report is being prepared;

          (b)  Evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  the  registrant's   disclosure
          controls and procedures  and presented in this report our  conclusions
          about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures,  as
          of the  end of the  period  covered  by  this  report  based  on  such
          evaluation; and

          (c) Disclosed in this report any change in the  registrant's  internal
          control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's
          most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's  fourth fiscal quarter in
          the case of an annual  report)  that has  materially  affected,  or is
          reasonably  likely to materially  affect,  the  registrant's  internal
          control over financial reporting; and

5.   The registrant's  other certifying  officer and I have disclosed,  based on
     our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
     the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board
     of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

          (a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design
          or operation of internal  control over financial  reporting  which are
          reasonably  likely to  adversely  affect the  registrant's  ability to
          record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

          (b) Any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves  management or
          other  employees  who  have a  significant  role  in the  registrant's
          internal control over financial reporting.

Date: February 25, 2004

                                        /s/ Niel C. Ellerbrook
                                        -----------------------------------
                                        Niel C. Ellerbrook
                                        Chairman & Chief Executive Officer