Exhibit 31.1

                              CERTIFICATION OF THE
                      PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
                             PURSUANT TO SECTION 302
                        OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Nickolas Stavropoulos, certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this  amendment to the annual report on Form 10-K of Boston
     Gas Company;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this 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
     report;

3.   Based on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
     information  included  in  this  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 report;

4.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer  and  I are  responsible  for
     establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
     in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) 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  report is being
     prepared;

          b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls
     and  procedures  and  presented  in this report our  conclusions  about the
     effectiveness of the disclosure  controls and procedures,  as of the end of
     the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

          c)  Disclosed  in this report any change in the  registrants  internal
     control over financial  reporting that occurred during the registrants most
     recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely
     to materially  affect,  the  registrant's  internal  control over financial
     reporting; and

5.   The registrant's  other certifying  officer and I have disclosed,  based on
     our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
     the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board
     of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

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          a) All significant  deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design
     or  operation  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  which are
     reasonably  likely to adversely affect the registrant's  ability to record,
     process, summarize and report financial information; and

          b) Any fraud,  whether or not material,  that  involves  management or
     other employees who have a significant  role in the  registrant's  internal
     control over financial reporting.

Date:    August 13, 2003
                                                 /s/ Nickolas Stavropoulos
                                                 -------------------------
                                          Name:  Nickolas Stavropoulos
                                          Title: President and Chief Operating
                                                 Officer


Note: A signed  original of this written  statement  required by Section 302 has
been  provided  to Boston Gas Company and will be retained by Boston Gas Company
and  furnished  to the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  or its staff upon
request.














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