Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Commitments We lease various buildings and vehicles, computer and office equipment and other facilities under operating leases. Certain of our leases contain renewal and purchase options and also contain escalation clauses. Our aggregate rental expense for such leases was $6,362 in Fiscal 2012, $5,221 in Fiscal 2011 and $5,737 in Fiscal 2010. Minimum future payments under operating leases that have initial or remaining noncancelable terms in excess of one year for the fiscal years ending September 30 are as follows: 2013— $5,361; 2014 — $4,250; 2015 — $3,445; 2016 — $3,115; 2017 — $1,803; after 2017 — $2,269. Gas Utility has gas supply agreements with producers and marketers with terms not exceeding one year. Gas Utility also has agreements for firm pipeline transportation, natural gas storage and peaking service which Gas Utility may terminate at various dates through 2022. Gas Utility’s costs associated with transportation and storage service agreements are included in its annual PGC filings with the PUC and are recoverable through PGC rates. In addition, Gas Utility has short-term gas supply agreements which permit it to purchase certain of its gas supply needs on a firm or interruptible basis at spot-market prices. Electric Utility purchases its electricity needs under contracts with various suppliers and on the spot market. Contracts with producers for energy needs expire at various dates through Fiscal 2014. Future contractual cash obligations under Gas Utility and Electric Utility supply, storage and service agreements existing at September 30, 2012, for fiscal years ending September 30 are as follows: 2013 — $219,035; 2014 — $121,492; 2015 — $84,824; 2016 — $66,377; 2017 — $49,584; after 2017 — $124,498. Contingencies Environmental Matters CPG is party to a Consent Order and Agreement (“CPG-COA”) with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) requiring CPG to perform a specified level of activities associated with environmental investigation and remediation work at certain properties in Pennsylvania on which manufactured gas plant (“MGP”) related facilities were operated (“CPG MGP Properties”) and to plug a minimum number of non-producing natural gas wells per year. In addition, PNG is a party to a Multi-Site Remediation Consent Order and Agreement (“PNG-COA”) with the DEP. The PNG-COA requires PNG to perform annually a specified level of activities associated with environmental investigation and remediation work at certain properties on which MGP-related facilities were operated (“PNG MGP Properties”). Under these agreements, environmental expenditures relating to the CPG MGP Properties and the PNG MGP Properties are capped at $1,800 and $1,100, respectively, in any calendar year. The CPG-COA terminates at the end of 2013. The PNG-COA terminates in 2019 but may be terminated by either party effective at the end of any two-year period beginning with the original effective date in March 2004. At September 30, 2012 and 2011, our accrued liabilities for environmental investigation and remediation costs related to the CPG-COA and the PNG-COA totaled $14,979 and $17,917, respectively. In accordance with GAAP related to rate-regulated entities, we have recorded associated regulatory assets in equal amounts. From the late 1800s through the mid-1900s, UGI Utilities and its former subsidiaries owned and operated a number of MGPs prior to the general availability of natural gas. Some constituents of coal tars and other residues of the manufactured gas process are today considered hazardous substances under the Superfund Law and may be present on the sites of former MGPs. Between 1882 and 1953, UGI Utilities owned the stock of subsidiary gas companies in Pennsylvania and elsewhere and also operated the businesses of some gas companies under agreement. Pursuant to the requirements of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, by the early 1950s UGI Utilities divested all of its utility operations other than certain Pennsylvania operations, including those which now constitute UGI Gas and Electric Utility. The Company does not expect its costs for investigation and remediation of hazardous substances at Pennsylvania MGP sites to be material to its results of operations because (1) UGI Gas is currently permitted to include in rates, through future base rate proceedings, a five-year average of such prudently incurred remediation costs and (2) CPG and PNG are currently receiving regulatory recovery of estimated environmental investigation and remediation costs associated with Pennsylvania sites. At September 30, 2012, neither the undiscounted nor the accrued liability for environmental investigation and cleanup costs for UGI Gas was material for UGI Utilities. UGI Utilities has been notified of several sites outside Pennsylvania on which private parties allege MGPs were formerly owned or operated by it or owned or operated by its former subsidiaries. Such parties are investigating the extent of environmental contamination or performing environmental remediation. Management believes that under applicable law UGI Utilities should not be liable in those instances in which a former subsidiary owned or operated an MGP. There could be, however, significant future costs of an uncertain amount associated with environmental damage caused by MGPs outside Pennsylvania that UGI Utilities directly operated, or that were owned or operated by former subsidiaries of UGI Utilities if a court were to conclude that (1) the subsidiary’s separate corporate form should be disregarded or (2) UGI Utilities should be considered to have been an operator because of its conduct with respect to its subsidiary’s MGP. Sag Harbor, New York Matter. By letter dated June 24, 2004, KeySpan Energy (“KeySpan”) informed UGI Utilities that KeySpan has spent $2,300 and expects to spend another $11,000 to clean up an MGP site it owns in Sag Harbor, New York. KeySpan believes that UGI Utilities is responsible for approximately 50% of these costs as a result of UGI Utilities’ alleged direct ownership and operation of the plant from 1885 to 1902. By letter dated June 6, 2006, KeySpan reported that the New York Department of Environmental Conservation has approved a remedy for the site that is estimated to cost approximately $10,000. KeySpan has indicated that the cost could be as high as $20,000. There have been no recent developments in this matter. Omaha, Nebraska. By letter dated October 20, 2011, the City of Omaha and the Metropolitan Utilities District (“MUD”) notified UGI Utilities that they had been requested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) to remediate a former manufactured gas plant site located in Omaha, Nebraska. According to a report prepared on behalf of the EPA identifying potentially responsible parties, a former subsidiary of a UGI Utilities' predecessor is identified as an owner and operator of the site. The City of Omaha and MUD have requested that UGI Utilities participate in the cost of remediation for this site. Because of the preliminary nature of available environmental information, the ultimate amount of expected clean up costs cannot be reasonably estimated. In addition, UGI Utilities believes that it has strong defenses to any claims that may arise relating to the remediation of this site. By letter dated November 10, 2011, the EPA notified UGI Utilities of its investigation of the site in Omaha, Nebraska and issued an information request to UGI Utilities. UGI Utilities responded to the EPA's information request on January 17, 2012, and is cooperating with its investigation. Other Matters Allentown, Pennsylvania Natural Gas Incident. On February 9, 2011, a natural gas explosion occurred in Allentown, Pennsylvania which resulted in five deaths, several personal injuries and significant property damage (the “Incident”). UGI Utilities has received more than one hundred property claims and a handful of personal injury and wrongful death claims in connection with the Incident. Many of the claims, including three wrongful death claims, several personal injury claims and more than ninety percent of the property claims received to date, have been settled. One wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in the Court of Common Pleas for Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by the executor of the estates of two of the decedents, Katherine Cruz and Ofelia Ben, in which plaintiffs seek compensatory and punitive damages related to the incident and against which the Company has filed preliminary objections. A second lawsuit, in which the property insurer for the Cruz residence and two other properties seeks compensation for the property damaged or destroyed in the Incident, was filed in the Court of Common Pleas for Lehigh County, but has since settled for an undisclosed sum. UGI Utilities maintains liability insurance for personal injury, wrongful death, property and casualty damages and believes that third-party claims associated with the explosion, in excess of a $500 deductible, will be recovered through UGI Utilities’ insurance and that there is no basis for a punitive damage award in this matter. We continue to believe that claims and expenses associated with the explosion will not have a material impact on UGI Utilities’ consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. We cannot predict with certainty the final results of any of the environmental claims or legal actions described above. However, it is reasonably possible that some of them could be resolved unfavorably to us and result in losses in excess of recorded amounts. We are unable to estimate any possible losses in excess of recorded amounts. Although we currently believe, after consultation with counsel, that damages or settlements, if any, recovered by the plaintiffs in such claims or actions will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, damages or settlements could be material to our operating results or cash flows in future periods depending on the nature and timing of future developments with respect to these matters and the amounts of future operating results and cash flows. In addition to the matters described above, there are other pending claims and legal actions arising in the normal course of our businesses. While the results of these other pending claims and legal actions cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe, after consultation with counsel, the final outcome of such other matters will not have a significant effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Commitments

We lease various buildings and vehicles, computer and office equipment and other facilities under operating leases. Certain of our leases contain renewal and purchase options and also contain escalation clauses. Our aggregate rental expense for such leases was $6,362 in Fiscal 2012, $5,221 in Fiscal 2011 and $5,737 in Fiscal 2010.

Minimum future payments under operating leases that have initial or remaining noncancelable terms in excess of one year for the fiscal years ending September 30 are as follows: 2013— $5,361; 2014 — $4,250; 2015 — $3,445; 2016 — $3,115; 2017 — $1,803; after 2017 — $2,269.

Gas Utility has gas supply agreements with producers and marketers with terms not exceeding one year. Gas Utility also has agreements for firm pipeline transportation, natural gas storage and peaking service which Gas Utility may terminate at various dates through 2022. Gas Utility’s costs associated with transportation and storage service agreements are included in its annual PGC filings with the PUC and are recoverable through PGC rates. In addition, Gas Utility has short-term gas supply agreements which permit it to purchase certain of its gas supply needs on a firm or interruptible basis at spot-market prices.

Electric Utility purchases its electricity needs under contracts with various suppliers and on the spot market. Contracts with producers for energy needs expire at various dates through Fiscal 2014.

Future contractual cash obligations under Gas Utility and Electric Utility supply, storage and service agreements existing at September 30, 2012, for fiscal years ending September 30 are as follows: 2013 — $219,035; 2014 — $121,492; 2015 — $84,824; 2016 — $66,377; 2017 — $49,584; after 2017 — $124,498.

Contingencies

Environmental Matters

CPG is party to a Consent Order and Agreement (“CPG-COA”) with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) requiring CPG to perform a specified level of activities associated with environmental investigation and remediation work at certain properties in Pennsylvania on which manufactured gas plant (“MGP”) related facilities were operated (“CPG MGP Properties”) and to plug a minimum number of non-producing natural gas wells per year. In addition, PNG is a party to a Multi-Site Remediation Consent Order and Agreement (“PNG-COA”) with the DEP. The PNG-COA requires PNG to perform annually a specified level of activities associated with environmental investigation and remediation work at certain properties on which MGP-related facilities were operated (“PNG MGP Properties”). Under these agreements, environmental expenditures relating to the CPG MGP Properties and the PNG MGP Properties are capped at $1,800 and $1,100, respectively, in any calendar year. The CPG-COA terminates at the end of 2013. The PNG-COA terminates in 2019 but may be terminated by either party effective at the end of any two-year period beginning with the original effective date in March 2004. At September 30, 2012 and 2011, our accrued liabilities for environmental investigation and remediation costs related to the CPG-COA and the PNG-COA totaled $14,979 and $17,917, respectively. In accordance with GAAP related to rate-regulated entities, we have recorded associated regulatory assets in equal amounts.

From the late 1800s through the mid-1900s, UGI Utilities and its former subsidiaries owned and operated a number of MGPs prior to the general availability of natural gas. Some constituents of coal tars and other residues of the manufactured gas process are today considered hazardous substances under the Superfund Law and may be present on the sites of former MGPs. Between 1882 and 1953, UGI Utilities owned the stock of subsidiary gas companies in Pennsylvania and elsewhere and also operated the businesses of some gas companies under agreement. Pursuant to the requirements of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, by the early 1950s UGI Utilities divested all of its utility operations other than certain Pennsylvania operations, including those which now constitute UGI Gas and Electric Utility.

The Company does not expect its costs for investigation and remediation of hazardous substances at Pennsylvania MGP sites to be material to its results of operations because (1) UGI Gas is currently permitted to include in rates, through future base rate proceedings, a five-year average of such prudently incurred remediation costs and (2) CPG and PNG are currently receiving regulatory recovery of estimated environmental investigation and remediation costs associated with Pennsylvania sites. At September 30, 2012, neither the undiscounted nor the accrued liability for environmental investigation and cleanup costs for UGI Gas was material for UGI Utilities.

UGI Utilities has been notified of several sites outside Pennsylvania on which private parties allege MGPs were formerly owned or operated by it or owned or operated by its former subsidiaries. Such parties are investigating the extent of environmental contamination or performing environmental remediation.

Management believes that under applicable law UGI Utilities should not be liable in those instances in which a former subsidiary owned or operated an MGP. There could be, however, significant future costs of an uncertain amount associated with environmental damage caused by MGPs outside Pennsylvania that UGI Utilities directly operated, or that were owned or operated by former subsidiaries of UGI Utilities if a court were to conclude that (1) the subsidiary’s separate corporate form should be disregarded or (2) UGI Utilities should be considered to have been an operator because of its conduct with respect to its subsidiary’s MGP.

Sag Harbor, New York Matter. By letter dated June 24, 2004, KeySpan Energy (“KeySpan”) informed UGI Utilities that KeySpan has spent $2,300 and expects to spend another $11,000 to clean up an MGP site it owns in Sag Harbor, New York. KeySpan believes that UGI Utilities is responsible for approximately 50% of these costs as a result of UGI Utilities’ alleged direct ownership and operation of the plant from 1885 to 1902. By letter dated June 6, 2006, KeySpan reported that the New York Department of Environmental Conservation has approved a remedy for the site that is estimated to cost approximately $10,000. KeySpan has indicated that the cost could be as high as $20,000. There have been no recent developments in this matter.

Omaha, Nebraska. By letter dated October 20, 2011, the City of Omaha and the Metropolitan Utilities District (“MUD”) notified UGI Utilities that they had been requested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) to remediate a former manufactured gas plant site located in Omaha, Nebraska. According to a report prepared on behalf of the EPA identifying potentially responsible parties, a former subsidiary of a UGI Utilities' predecessor is identified as an owner and operator of the site. The City of Omaha and MUD have requested that UGI Utilities participate in the cost of remediation for this site. Because of the preliminary nature of available environmental information, the ultimate amount of expected clean up costs cannot be reasonably estimated. In addition, UGI Utilities believes that it has strong defenses to any claims that may arise relating to the remediation of this site. By letter dated November 10, 2011, the EPA notified UGI Utilities of its investigation of the site in Omaha, Nebraska and issued an information request to UGI Utilities. UGI Utilities responded to the EPA's information request on January 17, 2012, and is cooperating with its investigation.

Other Matters

Allentown, Pennsylvania Natural Gas Incident. On February 9, 2011, a natural gas explosion occurred in Allentown, Pennsylvania which resulted in five deaths, several personal injuries and significant property damage (the “Incident”).

UGI Utilities has received more than one hundred property claims and a handful of personal injury and wrongful death claims in connection with the Incident. Many of the claims, including three wrongful death claims, several personal injury claims and more than ninety percent of the property claims received to date, have been settled. One wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in the Court of Common Pleas for Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by the executor of the estates of two of the decedents, Katherine Cruz and Ofelia Ben, in which plaintiffs seek compensatory and punitive damages related to the incident and against which the Company has filed preliminary objections. A second lawsuit, in which the property insurer for the Cruz residence and two other properties seeks compensation for the property damaged or destroyed in the Incident, was filed in the Court of Common Pleas for Lehigh County, but has since settled for an undisclosed sum. UGI Utilities maintains liability insurance for personal injury, wrongful death, property and casualty damages and believes that third-party claims associated with the explosion, in excess of a $500 deductible, will be recovered through UGI Utilities’ insurance and that there is no basis for a punitive damage award in this matter. We continue to believe that claims and expenses associated with the explosion will not have a material impact on UGI Utilities’ consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

We cannot predict with certainty the final results of any of the environmental claims or legal actions described above. However, it is reasonably possible that some of them could be resolved unfavorably to us and result in losses in excess of recorded amounts. We are unable to estimate any possible losses in excess of recorded amounts. Although we currently believe, after consultation with counsel, that damages or settlements, if any, recovered by the plaintiffs in such claims or actions will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, damages or settlements could be material to our operating results or cash flows in future periods depending on the nature and timing of future developments with respect to these matters and the amounts of future operating results and cash flows. In addition to the matters described above, there are other pending claims and legal actions arising in the normal course of our businesses. While the results of these other pending claims and legal actions cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe, after consultation with counsel, the final outcome of such other matters will not have a significant effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.