Exhibit 5(i)
                                                                Page 1 of 2

                        MURTHA, CULLINA, RICHTER AND PINNEY
                                    CityPlace I
                                 185 Asylum Street
                         Hartford, Connecticut 06103-3469

                             Telephone (203) 240-6000
                              Facsimile (203)240-6150
                                          

        
        
       Willard F. Pinney, Jr.
       (203) 240-6016


                                       June 18, 1997
           
           
           
           
          Securities and Exchange Commission
          450 Fifth Street, N.W.
          Judiciary Plaza
          Washington, D.C.  20549
           
               Re:  CTG Resources, Inc.
                    Registration Statement on Form S-8
                    -----------------------------------
           
          Ladies and Gentlemen:
           
               We have acted as counsel for CTG Resources, Inc. ("CTG") in
          connection with the proposed sale and issuance by CTG of up to an
          aggregate of 200,000 shares of its common stock pursuant to the
          CTG Resources, Inc. Employee Savings Plan (the "Plan"), as
          described in CTG's Registration Statement on Form S-8 being filed
          this date under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
           
               We are familiar with the action taken by CTG to date with
          respect to the adoption of the Plan and the reservation of an
          aggregate of 200,000 shares of its common stock (the "Shares")
          for issuance under the Plan, and the documents incorporated by
          reference in the Registration Statement, and have made such
          examination as we deemed necessary as a basis for the opinions
          hereinafter expressed.  We are furnishing this opinion in
          connection with the filing of the Registration Statement.
           





                                                               Exhibit 5(i)
                                                                Page 2 of 2
          Securities and Exchange Commission
          June 18, 1997
          Page 2
           
               Subject to the following assumption and based upon the
          foregoing, we are of the opinion that, upon the effectiveness of
          the Registration Statement, the Shares proposed to be offered and
          sold by CTG under the Registration Statement pursuant to the Plan
          will, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Plan, be
          legally issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
           
               For purposes of the foregoing opinion we have assumed that
          the Shares required to fund the Plan will be acquired by CTG in
          market transactions or, in the alternative, we have assumed that
          any shares newly issued in accordance with the Plan will first be
          approved by the Connecticut Department of Utility Control in
          accordance with applicable Connecticut law.  
           
               We hereby consent to the inclusion of this opinion as an
          exhibit in the Registration Statement.
           
                                    Very truly yours,
           
                                    MURTHA, CULLINA, RICHTER AND PINNEY
           
           
                                    S/ Willard F. Pinney, Jr.
                                    -----------------------------------
                                    Willard F. Pinney, Jr.
                                    A Partner of the Firm