<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, 1998 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-31-1998 <PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1998 <PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 272,867 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 0 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 85,454 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 24,923 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 383,244 <COMMON> 71,425 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 27,739 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 17,998 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 117,162 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 102,150 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 30,825 <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> 129,457 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 383,244 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 289,083 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 7,982 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 258,087 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 266,069 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 23,014 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 1,246 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 24,260 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 10,991 <NET-INCOME> 13,269 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 13,269 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 12,142 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 8,721 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 42,214 <EPS-PRIMARY> 0 <EPS-DILUTED> 0