EXHIBIT 31.2

                  CERTIFICATION OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
                             PURSUANT TO SECTION 302
                        OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Glenn C. Lockwood, certify that:

1)       I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of New Jersey
         Resources Corporation;

2)       Based on my knowledge, this Quarterly Report does not contain any
         untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
         necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances
         under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to
         the period covered by this Quarterly Report;

3)       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
         information included in this Quarterly Report, fairly present in all
         material respects the financial condition, results of operations and
         cash flows of the Registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in
         this Quarterly Report;

4)       The Registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for
         establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
         defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the Registrant and
         have:

         a.)      designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
                  such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
                  our supervision, to ensure that material information relating
                  to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is
                  made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
                  during the period in which this Quarterly Report is being
                  prepared;

         b.)      evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrant's disclosure
                  controls and procedures presented in this Quarterly Report our
                  conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
                  and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this
                  Quarterly Report based on such evaluation; and

5)       The Registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based
         on our most recent evaluation, to the Registrant's auditors and the
         audit committee of Registrant's board of directors (or persons
         performing the equivalent functions):

         a.)      all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of
                  internal controls which could adversely affect the
                  Registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report
                  financial data and have identified for the Registrant's
                  auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and

         b.)      any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
                  or other employees who have a significant role in the
                  Registrant's internal controls.

Date: August 13, 2003                     By: /s/Glenn C. Lockwood
                                              --------------------
                                              Glenn C. Lockwood
                                              Senior Vice President,
                                              Chief Financial Officer