Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plans

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plans [Abstract]

Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plans

NOTE 14. PENSION AND OTHER POST-RETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS

The following tables show the components of net periodic benefit costs (income) recognized in our financial statements during the three and ninemonths ended June 30, 2011 and 2010:

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Costs (Income)
		Three Months Ended June 30,
		2011				2010
	Pension		Health and		Pension		Health and
(In thousands)	Benefits		Life Benefits		Benefits		Life Benefits
Components of net periodic benefit costs (income)
Service cost	$	3,033	$	1,856	$	2,438	$	1,648
Interest cost		10,323		6,278		10,478		6,331
Expected return on plan assets		(11,136)		(4,638)		(11,419)		(4,605)
Amortization of prior service cost		268		(980)		262		(1,005)
Amortization of actuarial loss		3,670		2,809		1,050		2,196
Amortization of transition obligation		-		272		-		272
Partial Settlement of the Supplemental Executive Retirement Program		-		-		3,529		-
Net periodic benefit cost		6,158		5,597		6,338		4,837
Amount allocated to construction projects		(698)		(817)		(265)		(787)
Amount deferred as regulatory asset/liability - net		(1,783)		512		(1,308)		504
Other		-		-		6		-
Amount charged to expense	$	3,677	$	5,292	$	4,771	$	4,554

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Costs (Income)
		Nine Months Ended June 30,
		2011				2010
	Pension		Health and		Pension		Health and
(In thousands)	Benefits		Life Benefits		Benefits		Life Benefits
Components of net periodic benefit costs (income)
Service cost	$	9,098	$	5,568	$	7,338	$	4,944
Interest cost		30,969		18,833		31,814		18,993
Expected return on plan assets		(33,409)		(13,913)		(34,593)		(13,815)
Amortization of prior service cost		805		(2,941)		793		(3,016)
Amortization of actuarial loss		11,009		8,428		3,207		6,586
Amortization of transition obligation		-		815		-		815
Partial Settlement of the Supplemental Executive Retirement Program		-		-		3,529		-
Net periodic benefit cost		18,472		16,790		12,088		14,507
Amount allocated to construction projects		(2,211)		(2,607)		(789)		(2,314)
Amount deferred as regulatory asset/liability - net		(5,341)		1,535		(3,921)		1,513
Other		-		-		21		-
Amount charged to expense	$	10,920	$	15,718	$	7,399	$	13,706
Amounts included in the line item “Amount deferred as regulatory asset/liability-net,” as shown in the table above, represent the difference between the cost of the applicable Pension Benefits or the Health and Life Benefits and the amount that Washington Gas is permitted to recover in rates that it charges to customers in the District of Columbia.
During fiscal year 2011, Washington Gas expects to make contributions totaling $29.6 million to its qualified pension plan.