<ARTICLE>                                           UT
<CIK> 0000065350
<NAME> METROPOLITAN EDISON COMPANY
<MULTIPLIER>                                     1,000
<CURRENCY>                                  US DOLLARS
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          DEC-31-1998
<PERIOD-START>                             JAN-01-1998
<PERIOD-END>                               JUN-30-1998
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                      1
<BOOK-VALUE>                                  PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                    1,327,981
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                    204,122
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                         184,024
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                     1,923,464
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                       0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                               3,639,591
<COMMON>                                        66,273
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                      370,200
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                             98,706    <F1>
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                 535,179
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                          100,000    <F2>
<PREFERRED>                                     12,056
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                           576,926
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                              31,100
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                            0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                  45,726
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                       22
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                            0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                         30
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                30,731
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>               2,307,821
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                3,639,591
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                      460,778
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                            32,906
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     349,200
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     382,106
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                         78,672
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                              (5,534)
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                  73,138
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                        29,860    <F3>
<NET-INCOME>                                  (144,002)   <F4>
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                        242
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                 (144,244)
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                        40,000    <F5>
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                       42,838
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                          70,971
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                        0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                        0
<FN>
<F1> INCLUDES ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME OF $14,316.
<F2> REPRESENTS COMPANY-OBLIGATED MANDATORILY REDEEMABLE PREFERRED
<F2> SECURITIES.
<F3> INCLUDES DIVIDENDS ON COMPANY-OBLIGATED MANDATORILY REDEEMABLE
<F3> PREFERRED SECURITIES OF $4,500.
<F4> INCLUDES AN AFTER-TAX CHARGE FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY ITEM OF $187,280.
<F5> REPRESENTS COMMON STOCK DIVIDENDS PAID TO PARENT CORPORATION.
</FN>