<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