Employee Benefit Plans

Net periodic benefit costs for our pension and post-retirement benefits plans for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 are set forth in the following table:



	Chesapeake Pension Plan						FPU Pension Plan						Chesapeake SERP				Chesapeake Postretirement Plan						FPU Medical Plan
For the Three Months Ended March 31,	2016			2015			2016			2015			2016		2015		2016			2015			2016		2015
(in thousands)
Interest cost	$	105		$	102		$	630		$	626		$	23	$	23	$	11		$	11		$	14	$	15
Expected return on plan assets	(131		)	(135		)	(701		)	(777		)	—		—		—			—			—		—
Amortization of prior service cost	—			—			—			—			—		2		(20		)	(19		)	—		—
Amortization of net loss	104			90			128			114			22		25		18			17			—		2
Net periodic cost (benefit)	78			57			57			(37		)	45		50		9			9			14		17
Amortization of pre-merger regulatory asset	—			—			191			190			—		—		—			—			2		2
Total periodic cost	$	78		$	57		$	248		$	153		$	45	$	50	$	9		$	9		$	16	$	19

We expect to record pension and postretirement benefit costs of approximately $1.6 million for 2016. Included in these costs is $769,000 related to continued amortization of the FPU pension regulatory asset, which represents the portion attributable to FPU’s regulated energy operations for the changes in funded status that occurred, but were not recognized, as part of net periodic benefit costs prior to the FPU merger in 2009. This was deferred as a regulatory asset by FPU prior to the merger, to be recovered through rates pursuant to a previous order by the Florida PSC. The unamortized balance of this regulatory asset was $2.7 million and $2.8 million at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. The amortization included in pension expense is also being added to a net periodic loss of $802,000, which will increase our total expected benefit costs to $1.6 million.

Pursuant to a Florida PSC order, FPU continues to record as a regulatory asset a portion of the unrecognized pension and postretirement benefit costs related to its regulated operations after the FPU merger. The portion of the unrecognized pension and postretirement benefit costs related to FPU’s unregulated operations and Chesapeake Utilities' operations is recorded to accumulated other comprehensive loss. The following table presents the amounts included in the regulatory asset and accumulated other comprehensive loss that were recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015:



For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016	Chesapeake Pension Plan		FPU Pension Plan		Chesapeake SERP		Chesapeake Postretirement Plan			FPU Medical Plan		Total
(in thousands)
Prior service cost (credit)	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	(20	)	$	—	$	(20	)
Net loss	104		128		22		18			—		272
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost	$	104	$	128	$	22	$	(2	)	$	—	$	252
Recognized from accumulated other comprehensive loss ⁽¹⁾	$	104	$	24	$	22	$	(2	)	$	—	$	148
Recognized from regulatory asset	—		104		—		—			—		104
Total	$	104	$	128	$	22	$	(2	)	$	—	$	252



For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2015	Chesapeake Pension Plan		FPU Pension Plan		Chesapeake SERP		Chesapeake Postretirement Plan			FPU Medical Plan		Total
(in thousands)
Prior service cost (credit)	$	—	$	—	$	2	$	(19	)	$	—	$	(17	)
Net loss	90		114		25		17			2		248
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost	$	90	$	114	$	27	$	(2	)	$	2	$	231
Recognized from accumulated other comprehensive loss ⁽¹⁾	$	90	$	22	$	27	$	(2	)	$	—	$	137
Recognized from regulatory asset	—		92		—		—			2		94
Total	$	90	$	114	$	27	$	(2	)	$	2	$	231


⁽¹⁾	See Note 8, Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss.

During the three months ended March 31, 2016, we contributed $104,000 to the Chesapeake Pension Plan and $337,000 to the FPU Pension Plan. We expect to contribute a total of $508,000 and $1.6 million to the Chesapeake Pension Plan and FPU Pension Plan, respectively, during 2016, which represent the minimum annual contribution payments required.

The Chesapeake SERP, the Chesapeake Postretirement Plan and the FPU Medical Plan are unfunded and are expected to be paid out of our general funds. Cash benefits paid under the Chesapeake SERP for the three months ended March 31, 2016, were $38,000. We expect to pay total cash benefits of approximately $151,000 under the Chesapeake Pension SERP in 2016. Cash benefits paid under the Chesapeake Postretirement Plan, primarily for medical claims for the three months ended March 31, 2016, were $21,000. We estimate that approximately $82,000 will be paid for such benefits under the Chesapeake Postretirement Plan in 2016. Cash benefits paid under the FPU Medical Plan, primarily for medical claims for the three months ended March 31, 2016, were $38,000. We estimate that approximately $149,000 will be paid for such benefits under the FPU Medical Plan in 2016.