<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-99.CERT
<SEQUENCE>2
<FILENAME>exh302.txt
<DESCRIPTION>EXHIBIT 302 CERT FOR SECTION 302 OF SOA
<TEXT>


         CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 30A-2(A) UNDER THE 1940 ACT AND
                     SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT

I, Bruce N. Alpert, certify that:

1.       I have reviewed this report on Form N-Q of The Gabelli Utility Trust;

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 schedules of  investments  included in this
         report fairly present in all material  respects the  investments of the
         registrant as of the end of the fiscal  quarter for which the report is
         filed;

4.       The registrant's other certifying  officer(s) and I are responsible for
         establishing  and  maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as
         defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment  Company Act of 1940) and
         internal  control  over  financial  reporting  (as  defined  under Rule
         30a-3(d) under the  Investment  Company Act of 1940) 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)   Designed  such  internal  control over  financial  reporting,  or
               caused such  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  to be
               designed under our supervision,  to provide reasonable  assurance
               regarding  the   reliability  of  financial   reporting  and  the
               preparation  of financial  statements  for  external  purposes in
               accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

         (c)   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 a date within 90 days prior to the filing
               date of this report, based on such evaluation; and

         (d)   Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's  internal
               control  over  financial   reporting  that  occurred  during  the
               registrant's  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(s) and I have disclosed to
         the  registrant's  auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's
         board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
<PAGE>

         (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: November 28, 2005          /s/ Bruce N. Alpert
      -----------------          -----------------------------------------------
                                 Bruce N. Alpert, Principal Executive Officer &
                                 Principal Financial Officer

</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
