Exhibit 12.2
                                                                         12/4/97

                               GULF POWER COMPANY
                Computation of ratio of earnings to fixed charges
                plus preferred dividend requirements for the five
                          years ended December 31, 1996
                  and the twelve months ended October 31, 1997




                                                                                                                       Twelve
                                                                                                                       Months
                                                                                                                        Ended
                                                                         Year ended December 31,                     October 31,
                                                        ========================================================
                                                           1992         1993         1994        1995        1996        1997
                                                           ====         ====         ====        ====        ====        ====
                                                        ----------------------------Thousands of Dollars---------------------------
                                                                                                         
EARNINGS AS DEFINED IN ITEM 503 OF REGULATION S-K:
   Income Before Interest Charges                       $ 98,422     $ 96,088    $ 93,407     $ 92,693    $ 94,283    $ 95,069
      Federal and state income taxes                      28,569       28,304      40,848       33,796      35,417      41,359
      Deferred income taxes, net                           3,322        5,347      (6,987)         390       2,156      (6,179)
      Deferred  investment  tax credits                        -            -           -            -           -           -
      AFUDC - Debt funds                                      46          454         656          187          58           2
                                                        ---------    ---------   ---------    ---------   ---------   ---------
         Earnings  as defined                           $130,359     $130,193    $127,924     $127,066    $131,914    $130,251
                                                        =========    =========   =========    =========   =========   =========


FIXED CHARGES AS DEFINED IN ITEM 503 OF REGULATION S-K:
   Interest  on long-term  debt                         $ 35,792     $ 31,344    $ 27,124     $ 23,294    $ 24,691    $ 22,664
   Interest  on interim  obligations                       1,041          870       1,509        2,931       2,071         860
   Amort of debt disc, premium  and expense, net           1,032        1,412       1,834        2,014       2,087       2,253
   Other interest  charges                                 1,410        2,877       2,442        1,674       1,882       6,404
                                                        ---------    ---------   ---------    ---------   ---------   ---------
         Fixed charges as defined                         39,275       36,503      32,909       29,913      30,731      32,181
Tax  deductible   preferred  dividends                       199          156         156          156         156         156
                                                        ---------     --------    --------     --------    --------   ---------
                                                          39,474       36,659      33,065       30,069      30,887      32,337
                                                        ---------    ---------   ---------    ---------   ---------   ---------
Non-tax  deductible  preferred  dividends                  4,904        5,572       5,769        5,657       5,609       4,474
Ratio  of net income  before  taxes to net income       x  1.539     x  1.560    x  1.555     x  1.543    x  1.591    x  1.559
                                                        ---------    ---------   ---------    ---------   ---------   ---------
Pref  dividend  requirements  before  income  taxes        7,547        8,692       8,971        8,729       8,924       6,975
                                                        ---------    ---------   ---------    ---------   ---------   ---------
Fixed  charges  plus  pref  dividend  requirements      $ 47,021     $ 45,351    $ 42,036     $ 38,798    $ 39,811    $ 39,312
                                                        =========    =========   =========    =========   =========   =========

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES  PLUS
   PREFERRED  DIVIDEND  REQUIREMENTS                        2.77         2.87        3.04         3.28        3.31        3.31
                                                            ====         ====        ====         ====        ====        ====