<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