<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 three months ended November 30, 1995 and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements. </LEGEND> <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> 3-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1996 <PERIOD-END> NOV-30-1995 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 72,956 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 571 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 12,581 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 3,267 <OTHER-ASSETS> 689 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 90,064 <COMMON> 18,588 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> (108) <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 11,741 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 30,221 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 336 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 20,009 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 11,400 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 854 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LEASES-CURRENT> 47 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 27,198 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 90,064 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 6,962 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> (145) <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 3,297 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 3,152 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 536 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> (17) <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 519 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 723 <NET-INCOME> (204) <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 4 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> (208) <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 632 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 497 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> (3,412) <EPS-PRIMARY> (0.13) <EPS-DILUTED> (0.13)