Employee Retirement Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]

Change in Pension Benefits and Other Postretirement Benefit Obligations, Plan Assets, and Funded Status

The following table provides a reconciliation of the projected benefit obligations (“PBOs”) of the Pension Plan, the accumulated benefit obligations (“ABOs”) of our other postretirement benefit plans, plan assets and the funded status of the Pension Plan and other postretirement plans as of September 30, 2015 and 2014. ABO is the present value of benefits earned to date with benefits based upon current compensation levels. PBO is ABO increased to reflect future compensation.

	Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits
	2015			2014			2015			2014
Change in benefit obligations:
Benefit obligations — beginning of year	$	539,725		$	486,468		$	11,136		$	10,688
Service cost	7,863			7,309			220			175
Interest cost	24,656			25,102			511			519
Actuarial loss (gain)	14,667			43,064			(835		)	205
Benefits paid	(23,290		)	(22,218		)	(356		)	(451		)
Benefit obligations — end of year	$	563,621		$	539,725		$	10,676		$	11,136
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets — beginning of year	$	442,465		$	398,171		$	12,848		$	11,723
Actual gain (loss) on assets	483			47,285			(95		)	1,434
Employer contributions	11,131			19,227			126			142
Benefits paid	(23,290		)	(22,218		)	(356		)	(451		)
Fair value of plan assets — end of year	$	430,789		$	442,465		$	12,523		$	12,848
Funded status of the plans — end of year	$	(132,832	)	$	(97,260	)	$	1,847		$	1,712
Assets (liabilities) recorded in the balance sheet:
Assets in excess of liabilities — included in other noncurrent assets	$	—		$	—		$	4,011		$	3,971
Unfunded liabilities — included in other current liabilities	—			(1,100		)	—			(159		)
Unfunded liabilities — included in other noncurrent liabilities	(132,832		)	(96,160		)	(2,164		)	(2,100		)
Net amount recognized	$	(132,832	)	$	(97,260	)	$	1,847		$	1,712
Amounts recorded in stockholder’s equity (pre-tax):
Prior service cost (credit)	$	178		$	189		$	(48	)	$	(61	)
Net actuarial loss (gain)	15,757			10,662			(158		)	(46		)
Total	$	15,935		$	10,851		$	(206	)	$	(107	)
Amounts recorded in regulatory assets and liabilities (pre-tax):
Prior service cost (credit)	$	1,570		$	1,908		$	(2,890	)	$	(3,625	)
Net actuarial loss	138,440			107,363			2,289			2,616
Total	$	140,010		$	109,271		$	(601	)	$	(1,009	)

Actuarial Assumptions for Domestic Plans

The expected rate of return on assets assumption is based on current and expected asset allocations as well as historical and expected returns on various categories of plan assets as further described below.

	Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits
Weighted-average assumptions:	2015		2014		2013		2015		2014		2013
Discount rate - benefit obligations	4.60	%	4.60	%	5.20	%	4.70	%	4.60	%	5.10% - 5.40%
Discount rate - benefit cost	4.60	%	5.20	%	4.20	%	4.60	%	5.10% - 5.40%		4.10% - 4.30%
Expected return on plan assets	7.75	%	7.75	%	7.75	%	5.00	%	5.00	%	5.00	%
Rate of increase in salary levels	3.25	%	3.25	%	3.25	%	3.25	%	3.25	%	3.25	%

Components of Net Periodic Pension Expense and Other Postretirement Benefit Costs

Net periodic pension and other postretirement benefit costs relating to the Company’s employees include the following components:

	Pension Benefits									Other Postretirement Benefits
	2015			2014			2013			2015			2014			2013
Service cost	$	6,962		$	6,492		$	8,211		$	202		$	162		$	205
Interest cost	22,511			22,885			20,783			479			488			557
Expected return on assets	(28,898		)	(26,599		)	(24,791		)	(612		)	(557		)	(529		)
Amortization of:
Prior service cost (benefit)	348			348			249			(641		)	(641		)	(420		)
Actuarial loss	8,793			6,642			13,463			122			116			336
Net benefit cost (income)	9,716			9,768			17,915			(450		)	(432		)	149
Change in associated regulatory liabilities	—			—			—			3,740			3,704			3,302
Net benefit cost after change in regulatory liabilities	$	9,716		$	9,768		$	17,915		$	3,290		$	3,272		$	3,451

Expected Payments for Pension Benefits and Other Postretirement Welfare Benefits

Expected payments for pension and other postretirement welfare benefits are as follows:

	Pension Benefits		Other Postretirement Benefits
Fiscal 2016	$	24,900	$	701
Fiscal 2017	26,130		635
Fiscal 2018	27,392		606
Fiscal 2019	28,643		595
Fiscal 2020	29,954		581
Fiscal 2021 - 2025	168,123		2,826

Schedule of Effect of One-percentage-point Change in Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates

The assumed health care cost trend rates at September 30 are as follows:

	2015		2014
Health care cost trend rate assumed for next year	7.5	%	7.0	%
Rate to which the cost trend rate is assumed to decline (ultimate trend rate)	5.0	%	5.0	%
Fiscal year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rate	2026		2019

Allocation of Pension Plan and VEBA Trust Assets

The targets, target ranges and actual allocations for the Pension Plan and VEBA trust assets at September 30 are as follows:

					Target
	Actual				Asset		Permitted
Pension Plan:	2015		2014		Allocation		Range
Equity investments:
Domestic	56.2	%	55.6	%	52.5	%	40.0% - 65.0%
International	10.2	%	11.3	%	12.5	%	7.5% - 17.5%
Total	66.4	%	66.9	%	65.0	%	60.0% - 70.0%
Fixed income funds & cash equivalents	33.6	%	33.1	%	35.0	%	30.0% - 40.0%
Total	100.0	%	100.0	%	100.0	%

					Target
	Actual				Asset		Permitted
VEBA:	2015		2014		Allocation		Range
Domestic equity investments	67.4	%	67.9	%	65.0	%	60.0% - 70.0%
Fixed income funds & cash equivalents	32.6	%	32.1	%	35.0	%	30.0% - 40.0%
Total	100.0	%	100.0	%	100.0	%

Fair Value of Pension Plan and VEBA Trust Assets

The fair values of the U.S. Pension Plan and VEBA trust assets by asset class and level within the fair value hierarchy, as described in Note 2, as of September 30, 2015 and 2014 are as follows:

	Pension Plan
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
September 30, 2015:
Domestic equity investments:
S&P 500 Index equity mutual funds	$	147,266	$	—	$	—	$	147,266
Small and midcap equity mutual funds	40,625		—		—		40,625
Smallcap common stocks	10,727		—		—		10,727
UGI Corporation Common Stock	43,419		—		—		43,419
Total domestic equity investments	242,037		—		—		242,037
International index equity mutual funds	43,906		—		—		43,906
Fixed income investments:
Bond index mutual funds	140,776		—		—		140,776
Cash equivalents	—		4,070		—		4,070
Total fixed income investments	140,776		4,070		—		144,846
Total	$	426,719	$	4,070	$	—	$	430,789
September 30, 2014:
Equity investments:
S&P 500 Index equity mutual funds	$	152,613	$	—	$	—	$	152,613
Small and midcap equity mutual funds	41,417		—		—		41,417
Smallcap common stocks	9,325		—		—		9,325
UGI Corporation Common Stock	42,502		—		—		42,502
Total domestic equity investments	245,857		—		—		245,857
International index equity mutual funds	49,935		—		—		49,935
Fixed income investments:
Bond index mutual funds	140,949		—		—		140,949
Cash equivalents	—		5,724		—		5,724
Total fixed income investments	140,949		5,724		—		146,673
Total	$	436,741	$	5,724	$	—	$	442,465

	VEBA
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
September 30, 2015:
S&P 500 Index equity mutual fund	$	8,434	$	—	$	—	$	8,434
Bond index mutual fund	3,832		—		—		3,832
Cash equivalents	—		257		—		257
Total	$	12,266	$	257	$	—	$	12,523
September 30, 2014:
S&P 500 Index equity mutual fund	$	8,719	$	—	$	—	$	8,719
Bond index mutual fund	3,727		—		—		3,727
Cash equivalents	—		402		—		402
Total	$	12,446	$	402	$	—	$	12,848