<ARTICLE> UT <LEGEND> This schedule contains summary financial information extracted from the balance sheet, statement of income, statement of retained earnings and statement of cash flows contained in Form 10-Q of Commonwealth Gas Company for the six months ended June 30, 1996 and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements. </LEGEND> <CIK> 0000022620 <NAME> COMMONWEALTH GAS COMPANY <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1996 <PERIOD-END> JUN-30-1996 <PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 253,177 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 0 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 59,377 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 32,770 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 345,234 <COMMON> 71,425 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 27,739 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 12,583 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 111,747 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 78,100 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 0 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 13,650 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LEASES-CURRENT> 0 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 141,827 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 345,234 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 192,110 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 9,722 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 161,558 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 171,280 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 20,830 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 318 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 21,148 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 5,489 <NET-INCOME> 15,659 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 15,659 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 13,571 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 3,929 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 33,851 <EPS-PRIMARY> 0 <EPS-DILUTED> 0