<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, 1998 and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements. </LEGEND> <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1998 <PERIOD-END> FEB-28-1998 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 80,435 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 776 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 12,686 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 3,537 <OTHER-ASSETS> 579 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 98,012 <COMMON> 21,424 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 0 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 17,113 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 38,544 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 28,199 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 5,415 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 822 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 522 <LEASES-CURRENT> 56 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 24,454 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 98,012 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 32,062 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 1,662 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 25,558 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 27,220 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 4,842 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 150 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 4,992 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 1,569 <NET-INCOME> 3,423 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 3,423 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 1,404 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 1,264 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 4,152 <EPS-PRIMARY> 2.02 <EPS-DILUTED> 2.02