EIGHTH AMENDMENT TO
            CONNECTICUT NATURAL GAS CORPORATION EMPLOYEE SAVINGS PLAN
            (As Amended and Restated Effective As Of January 1, 1989)
    
    
        The Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation Employee Savings Plan is hereby
   amended as follows:
        1.   The effective date of Section 2 of the Seventh Amendment to the
   Plan, adding Section 11.04 to the Plan entitled "Participant Loans", is
   hereby changed from April 1, 1998 to May 1, 1998.
        2.   Section 5.01 is amended to read as follows, effective as of the d
   date set forth in Section 3 of this Amendment:
    
             "5.01  The Company shall contribute for the benefit of each
        Participant an amount equal to whichever of the following amounts
        is applicable:
    
                  (a)  seventy-five percent (75%) of the Participant's
        Compensation during the Payroll Period up to six percent (6%) of
        Compensation (maximum matching contribution of 4.5% of
        Compensation) in the case of a Participant who as of June 30 of
        the applicable calendar year had (or will have) either (i)
        attained the age of forty-five (45) years or (ii) completed twenty
        (20) years of Continuous Service; and
    
                  (b)  fifty percent (50%) of the Participant's
        Compensation during the Payroll Period up to six percent (6%) of
        Compensation (maximum matching contribution of 3% of Compensation)
        with respect to all other Participants.
    
                  (c)  Such contributions need not be made out of net
        operating profits; the Plan is intended to be a discretionary
        contribution plan in accordance with Section 401(a)(27) of the
        Code, and is not intended to be a plan subject to the funding
        requirements of Section 412 of the Code.
    
                  (d)  The matching levels for a calendar year shall be
        determined as of June 30 of that year, based upon whether the
        Participant either has satisfied the requirements or is expected
        to satisfy the requirements as of that date.
    
                  (e)  Participants shall be permitted to change their
        level of CODA contribution without regard to the requirement that
        only one change be made in any twelve (12) month period, provided
        that such change is made effective as of the effective date of
        this Amendment, as set forth in Section 2 below."
    





        3.   The provisions of Section 2 of this Amendment are effective as of
   May 1, 1998.  
        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation executes
   this Eighth Amendment this 1st day of April, 1998.

   ATTEST:                       CONNECTICUT NATURAL GAS CORPORATION


   Eileen Sheehan                By Jean S. McCarthy
   --------------------------    -----------------------------------
   Sr. Benefits Analyst            Its AVP Human Resources
    
    
    
        The undersigned, as President of Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation
   and in accordance with Section 3 of the Seventh Amendment to the Connecticut
   Natural Gas Corporation Employee Savings Plan, hereby consents to and
   approves of the modification set forth in Section 1 of this Eighth
   Amendment, delaying the effective date of the Participant loan provision
   from April 1, 1998 to May 1, 1998.

   April 2, 1998                 Arthur C. Marquardt
   -------------------           --------------------------------
         Date                    Arthur C. Marquardt
                                 President, Connecticut Natural
                                  Gas Corporation