<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 months ended May 31, 1996 and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements. </LEGEND> <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> 9-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1996 <PERIOD-END> MAY-31-1996 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 73,558 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 535 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 8,405 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 3,643 <OTHER-ASSETS> 666 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 86,807 <COMMON> 19,034 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 0 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 14,470 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 33,485 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 19,905 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 7,515 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 844 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LEASES-CURRENT> 48 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 25,010 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 86,807 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 45,141 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 1,999 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 37,170 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 39,169 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 5,972 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 8 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 5,980 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 2,148 <NET-INCOME> 3,832 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 11 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 3,821 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 1,924 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 1,478 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 8,543 <EPS-PRIMARY> 2.36 <EPS-DILUTED> 2.36