<ARTICLE>                           UT
<CIK>                               104880
<NAME>                              WASHINGTON NATURAL GAS COMPANY
<MULTIPLIER>                                1,000
       
                                 
<PERIOD-TYPE>                       YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                   SEP-30-1996
<PERIOD-END>                        SEP-30-1996

<BOOK-VALUE>                             PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                 835,870
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                     0
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                     47,908
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                   30,521
<OTHER-ASSETS>                             29,619
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                            943,918
<COMMON>                                   55,558
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                 170,725
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                        42,491
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>            268,774
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                           0
<PREFERRED>                                90,000
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                      344,920
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                              0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                       0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                  0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                 140
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                       0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                     0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                0
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>            240,084
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>             943,918
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                 400,108
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                       18,994
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                312,038
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                331,032
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                    69,076
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                           (229)
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>             68,847
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                   31,623
<NET-INCOME>                               37,224
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                 7,020
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>              30,204
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                   16,578
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                  26,303
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                    102,431
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                2.74
<EPS-DILUTED>                                2.74