<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 six months ended February 29, 1996 and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements. </LEGEND> <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1996 <PERIOD-END> FEB-29-1996 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 73,282 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 616 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 13,896 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 3,247 <OTHER-ASSETS> 680 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 91,722 <COMMON> 18,727 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 0 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 14,069 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 32,796 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 336 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 19,480 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 10,065 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 1,326 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LEASES-CURRENT> 57 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 27,662 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 91,722 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 29,594 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 1,510 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 9,262 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 10,772 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 4,238 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> (10) <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 4,228 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 1,453 <NET-INCOME> 2,775 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 9 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 2,766 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 1,274 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 989 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 1,585 <EPS-PRIMARY> 1.71 <EPS-DILUTED> 1.71