<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 three months ended March 31, 1999 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-31-1999 <PERIOD-END> MAR-31-1999 <PERIOD-TYPE> 3-MOS <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 269,704 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 0 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 99,611 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 25,611 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 394,926 <COMMON> 71,425 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 27,739 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 33,383 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 132,547 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 102,150 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 0 <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> 156,579 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 394,926 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 110,320 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 9,590 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 82,773 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 92,363 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 17,957 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 276 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 18,233 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 2,848 <NET-INCOME> 15,385 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 15,385 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 2,104 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 47,463 <EPS-PRIMARY> 0 <EPS-DILUTED> 0