<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