<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, 1997 and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements. </LEGEND> <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> 9-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1997 <PERIOD-END> MAY-31-1997 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 77,696 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 668 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 10,036 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 2,681 <OTHER-ASSETS> 618 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 91,699 <COMMON> 20,070 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 0 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 15,942 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 36,075 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 28,799 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 1,615 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 1,025 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 565 <LEASES-CURRENT> 53 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 23,568 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 91,699 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 48,023 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 2,364 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 39,402 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 41,766 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 6,257 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 196 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 6,453 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 2,326 <NET-INCOME> 4,127 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 4,127 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 2,019 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 1,688 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 8,431 <EPS-PRIMARY> 2.49 <EPS-DILUTED> 2.49