Exhibit 12A
                                                                  Page 1 of 2

                         GPU, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES
        STATEMENTS SHOWING COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
                   AND RATIO OF EARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES
         AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS BASED ON SEC REGULATION S-K, ITEM 503
                                    (In Thousands)
                 ----------------------------------------------
                                    UNAUDITED

                                                       Three Months Ended
                                                    -------------------------
                                                    March 31,        March 31,
                                                      2000            1999
                                                    ---------       -----------

OPERATING REVENUES                                 $1,176,444       $1,073,733
                                                    ---------        ---------

OPERATING EXPENSES                                    836,132          775,100
  Interest portion of rentals (A)                       5,754            7,739
  Fixed charges of service company
    subsidiaries (B)                                    1,216            1,143
                                                    ---------         --------
      Net expense                                     829,162          766,218
                                                    ---------         --------

OTHER INCOME AND DEDUCTIONS:
  Allowance for funds used
    during construction                                 1,075              673
  Equity in undistributed earnings
    of affiliates, net                                  3,652           53,252
  Other income, net                                    19,178           49,081
  Minority interest net income                           (477)            (823)
                                                    ---------         --------

      Total other income and deductions                23,428          102,183
                                                    ---------         --------

EARNINGS AVAILABLE FOR FIXED CHARGES
  AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS (excluding
  taxes based on income)                           $  370,710       $  409,698
                                                    =========        =========

FIXED CHARGES:
  Interest on funded indebtedness                  $  133,919       $   82,821
  Other interest (C)                                    8,629            8,233
  Preferred stock dividends of
    subsidiaries on a pretax basis (E)                  4,100            6,260
  Interest portion of rentals (A)                       5,754            7,739
                                                    ---------        ---------
      Total fixed charges                          $  152,402       $  105,053
                                                    =========        =========

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES                       2.43             3.90
                                                         ====             ====

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES
  AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS (D)                      2.43             3.90
                                                         ====             ====


<PAGE>


                                                                   Exhibit 12A
                                                                   Page 2 of 2

                         GPU, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES
        STATEMENTS SHOWING COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
                   AND RATIO OF EARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES
         AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS BASED ON SEC REGULATION S-K, ITEM 503
                                    (In Thousands)
                 ----------------------------------------------
                                    UNAUDITED
--------------------------
NOTES:

(A)   GPU has included  the  equivalent  of the interest  portion of all rentals
      charged to income as fixed  charges for this  statement  and has  excluded
      such components from Operating Expenses.

(B)   Represents fixed charges of GPU Service,  Inc. and GPU Nuclear, Inc. which
      are  accounted  for as  operating  expenses in GPU's  consolidated  income
      statement.  GPU has removed the fixed charges from operating  expenses and
      included such amounts in fixed charges as interest on funded  indebtedness
      and other interest for this statement.

(C)   Includes amount for subsidiary-obligated  mandatorily redeemable preferred
      securities  of $2,675 and $7,222 for the three month  periods  ended March
      31, 2000 and 1999, respectively, and amount for trust preferred securities
      of $3,673 for the three month period ended March 31, 2000.

(D)   GPU, Inc., the parent holding  company,  does not have any preferred stock
      outstanding,  therefore,  the ratio of earnings to combined  fixed charges
      and  preferred  stock  dividends  is the same as the ratio of  earnings to
      fixed charges.

(E)   Calculation of preferred stock dividends of subsidiaries on a pretax basis
      is as follows:

                                                       Three Months  Ended
                                                   ----------------------------
                                                   March 31,          March 31,
                                                     2000              1999
                                                   --------           --------

Income before provision for income taxes and
 preferred stock dividends of subsidiaries         $222,408          $310,905

Income before preferred stock dividends of
 subsidiaries                                       133,459           194,639

Pretax earnings ratio                                166.6%            159.7%

Preferred stock dividends of subsidiaries             2,461             3,920

Preferred stock dividends of subsidiaries on
 a pretax basis                                       4,100             6,260