<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-K of Commonwealth Gas Company for fiscal year ended December 31, 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> DEC-31-1996 <PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 257,341 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 0 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 103,000 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 28,589 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 388,930 <COMMON> 71,425 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 27,739 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 10,856 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 110,020 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 74,450 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 68,600 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 3,650 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LEASES-CURRENT> 0 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 132,210 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 388,930 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 342,488 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 10,061 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 305,725 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 315,786 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 26,702 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 935 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 27,637 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 10,848 <NET-INCOME> 16,789 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 16,789 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 16,428 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 7,604 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> (14,468) <EPS-PRIMARY> 0 <EPS-DILUTED> 0