<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, 1998 and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements. </LEGEND> <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> 9-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1998 <PERIOD-END> MAY-31-1998 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 80,441 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 792 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 9,488 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 3,432 <OTHER-ASSETS> 565 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 94,718 <COMMON> 21,649 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 0 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 17,390 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 39,053 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 28,199 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 4,125 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 749 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 507 <LEASES-CURRENT> 57 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 22,028 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 94,718 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 46,217 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 2,571 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 37,120 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 39,691 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 6,526 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 174 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 6,700 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 2,277 <NET-INCOME> 4,423 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 4,423 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 2,127 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 1,890 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 7,033 <EPS-PRIMARY> 2.59 <EPS-DILUTED> 2.53