William Heil elected president of AllEnergy Marketing Company

Business Wire, June 3, 1996

WESTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 3, 1996--J. Atwood Ives, chairman and chief executive officer of Eastern Enterprises (NYSE:EFU), announced today that William H. Heil will join the company on June 17 as senior vice president and president of Eastern's wholly-owned, unregulated energy marketing subsidiary, AllEnergy Marketing Company Inc.

Heil has extensive experience in retail energy marketing, having most recently launched and served as president and chief executive officer of U.S. Energy Partners, a successful and profitable retail energy marketer with operations primarily in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Said Ives, "Bill Heil's experience and leadership will greatly enhance Eastern's ability to achieve its objective of making AllEnergy the premier marketer of energy commodities and related services to customers throughout the Northeast. Bill's expertise in structuring, launching and managing an unregulated energy marketing business will accelerate the development of AllEnergy and allow it to be in a position to serve all categories of energy customers as they are given choice through the ongoing deregulation process."

Heil added, "I am impressed with Eastern's commitment to achieving a leadership position in the deregulated marketplace and the progress the company has already made in developing a comprehensive unbundling proposal for Boston Gas, as well as the planning that has gone into the formation of AllEnergy. In addition, I believe Eastern has the skills and financial resources needed to become a major provider, not only of energy commodities, but also of a wide array of related services which will enhance customer choice and satisfaction."

Heil, 47, has more than 25 years of experience in both regulated and unregulated segments of the energy industry. He spent the first 15 years of his career at Public Service Electric and Gas Co. in New Jersey, serving in a variety of engineering and gas supply managerial positions. Next, Heil joined Transco Energy Company, initially as marketing vice president for Transco Energy Marketing Company (TEMCO), later as president of TEMCO and finally as president, Transco Gas Services Company. During 1993 and a portion of 1994, Heil was co-owner of Energy Resource Partners, a consulting firm that advised clients on energy marketing strategies. In early 1994, he became president of U.S. Energy Partners, a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group, and successfully launched that new retail energy marketing business.

Heil holds a B.S. in industrial distribution from Clarkson University.

AllEnergy Marketing Company Inc., headquartered in Waltham, Mass., is a new unregulated retail energy marketing company, providing natural gas and related services to commercial and industrial customers in New England. As utility markets are deregulated, AllEnergy's goal is to be the leading provider of energy commodities and related services to households and businesses throughout the Northeast.

Eastern Enterprises owns and operates two businesses in addition to AllEnergy. Boston Gas Co. is New England's largest distributor or natural gas, serving over 500,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Boston and 73 other eastern and central Massachusetts communities. Midland Enterprises Inc. is a leading carrier of coal and other dry bulk cargoes on the nation's inland waterways, with a fleet of 2,400 barges and 84 towboats. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Midland provides low-cost marine transportation to much of the country's major industrial and agricultural regions. -0- Eastern Enterprises' press releases are available via fax by calling, toll-free, 1-800-311-4607 or on the Internet at Business Wire's Home Page on the World Wide Web: http://www.businesswire.com/cnn/efu.htm

CONTACT: Eastern Enterprises

Jane W. McCahon, 617/647-2316