<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 28, 1997 and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements. </LEGEND> <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1997 <PERIOD-END> FEB-28-1997 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 77,656 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 639 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 14,706 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 3,322 <OTHER-ASSETS> 630 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 96,953 <COMMON> 19,850 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 0 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 15,369 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 35,289 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 28,799 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 7,512 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 1,088 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 579 <LEASES-CURRENT> 52 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 23,635 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 96,953 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 31,363 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 2,575 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 24,503 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 27,078 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 4,285 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 124 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 4,409 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 1,538 <NET-INCOME> 2,871 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 2,871 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 1,335 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 1,052 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 245 <EPS-PRIMARY> 1.74 <EPS-DILUTED> 1.74