<ARTICLE>                                           UT
<CIK> 0000053456
<NAME> JERSEY CENTRAL POWER & LIGHT COMPANY
<MULTIPLIER>                                     1,000
<CURRENCY>                                  US DOLLARS
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   3-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          DEC-31-1998
<PERIOD-START>                             JAN-01-1998
<PERIOD-END>                               MAR-31-1998
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                      1
<BOOK-VALUE>                                  PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                    2,873,493
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                    490,058
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                         382,200
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                       930,806
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                       0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                               4,676,557
<COMMON>                                       153,713
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                      510,769
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                            915,717
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>               1,580,199
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                          216,500    <F1>
<PREFERRED>                                     37,741
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                         1,173,364
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                   0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                            0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                       0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                       11
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                       12,500
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                          0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                77,616
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>               1,578,626
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                4,676,557
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                      472,334
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                            32,476
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     362,016
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     394,492
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                         77,842
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                               1,487
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                  79,329
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                        26,513    <F2>
<NET-INCOME>                                    52,816
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                      2,738
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                   50,078
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                        10,000    <F3>
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                       88,893
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                         191,308
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                        0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                        0
<FN>
<F1> INCLUDES COMPANY-OBLIGATED MANDATORILY REDEEMABLE PREFERRED
<F1> SECURITIES OF $125,000.
<F2> INCLUDES DIVIDENDS ON COMPANY-OBLIGATED MANDATORILY REDEEMABLE
<F2> PREFERRED SECURITIES OF $2,675.
<F3> REPRESENTS COMMON STOCK DIVIDENDS PAID TO PARENT CORPORATION.
</FN>