<ARTICLE>     UT 
<LEGEND>
This schedule contains summary financial information extracted from
the balance sheet, statement of income and statement of cash flows
contained in Form 10-Q of Essex County Gas Company for the nine
month ended May  31, 1995 and is qualified in its entirety by
reference to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>
<CIK> 0000046189
<NAME> ESSEX COUNTY GAS COMPANY
<MULTIPLIER> 1,000
       
                              
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>          AUG-31-1994
<PERIOD-END>              MAY-31-1995 
<BOOK-VALUE>                 PER-BOOK 
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>      68,542 
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>       506 
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>         11,128 
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>        3,568 
<OTHER-ASSETS>                    711 
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                 84,455 
<COMMON>                        3,995 
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>      14,116 
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>            12,811
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 30,698
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>             350
<PREFERRED>                         0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>           20,898
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>              1,170
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>           0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>      0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>     824
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>           0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>       666
<LEASES-CURRENT>                   45
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 29,804
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>  84,455
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>      40,963
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>            1,291
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>     34,824
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>     36,115
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>         4,848
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                 (4)
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>  4,844
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>        2,039
<NET-INCOME>                    2,805
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>        15 
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>   2,790
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>        1,851
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>       1,540
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>         12,008
<EPS-PRIMARY>                    1.76
<EPS-DILUTED>                    1.76