DR 97-195
                                     
                         Concord Electric Company
                                    and
                     EXETER & HAMPTON ELECTRIC COMPANY
                                     
                 PETITION TO RECOVER ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
                     ASSOCIATED WITH THE PILOT PROGRAM
                                     
                         Order Scheduling Hearing
                                     
                    O R D E R  N O. 22,834                    January 12, 1998
     
         APPEARANCES: Susan L. Geiser, Esq. for Concord Electric
     Company and Exeter & Hampton Electric Company; and Robert J.
     Frank for the Staff of the New Hampshire Public Utilities
     Commission.
     
     
     I.   PROCEDURAL HISTORY
               On September 22, 1997, Concord Electric Company and
     Exeter & Hampton Electric Company (Unitil Companies or Unitil)
     filed with the Commission a Petition to Recover Administrative
     Costs Associated with the Pilot Program.
               By Order No. 22,795 issued December 1, 1997, the
     Commission initiated an investigation regarding recovery,
     suspended the proposed tariff pages pending further review and
     decision, scheduled a prehearing conference for January 5, 1998,
     set deadlines for intervention requests and objections thereto,
     and required the Parties and Commission Staff (Staff) to
     summarize their positions with regard to the filing for the
     record.  No party moved to intervene.
               At the prehearing conference, the Unitil Companies and
     Staff proposed a hearing date of January 20, 1998 at 10:00 a.m.
               In accordance with the Order of Notice, the Unitil
     Companies and Staff stated their positions with regard to the
     filing for the record.   
               Unitil stated that it had voluntarily declined to start
     collecting the petitioned for expenses prior to the suspension
     order and that the Companies had worked with the Commission audit
     staff regarding outstanding issues.      
               Staff stated that discussions with Unitil had allayed
     many of the original concerns of the Staff regarding the proposed
     recovery and that two key issues remained, namely (1) how the
     pilot program expenses were kept on the Unitil books, and (2) the
     proposed timing of the recovery of the expenses by Unitil.  
     II.  COMMISSION ANALYSIS
               Unitil and Staff have proposed scheduling a hearing at
     which Unitil will present its proposal for recovery or a
     settlement agreement, if arrived at with Staff.  We find that
     proposal reasonable and will schedule a hearing.
               Based upon the foregoing, it is hereby 
               ORDERED, that a hearing is scheduled in this matter for
     January 20, 1998 at 10:00 a.m. at the Commission.
     
               By order of the Public Utilities Commission of New
     Hampshire this twelfth day of January, 1998.
     
     
     
     
                                                                     
        Douglas L. Patch    Bruce B. Ellsworth        Susan S. Geiger
            Chairman           Commissioner            Commissioner
     
     
     
     Attested by:
     
     
                                      
     Thomas B. Getz
     Executive Director and Secretary