Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Plant
Utility property, plant and equipment	$ 50,004,178	$ 47,490,565	$ 45,428,888
Less: accumulated depreciation	(14,793,688)	(14,361,951)	(13,305,858)
Total plant utility and non-utility, net	35,210,490	33,128,614	32,123,030
Investments
Marketable securities available-for-sale at fair value	2,379,575	2,267,268	2,450,603
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	166,035	173,245	6,861
Customer accounts receivable, (net of allowance for uncollectible accounts of $32,132, $35,584 and $46,080), respectively	2,477,607	1,598,241	2,904,047
Gas stored underground, at average cost	2,279,703	2,832,932	1,938,924
Materials and supplies inventory	928,015	1,188,017	738,234
Deferred income taxes
Prepaid expenses	600,277	703,959	555,933
Total current assets	6,451,637	6,496,394	6,143,999
Regulatory assets
Unrecovered gas costs	1,055,040	536,648	1,253,648
Deferred regulatory costs	1,373,147	1,207,028	989,616
Unamortized debt issuance cost (net of accumulated amortization of $455,139, $408,660 and $443,854), respectively	274,808	286,093	304,932
Deferred income taxes	1,177,891	1,308,298	101,785
Other	211,398	221,089	210,884
Total deferred debits and other assets	4,092,284	3,559,156	2,860,865
Total assets	48,133,986	45,451,432	43,578,497
Current liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt	1,333,559	945,063	1,120,932
Demand notes payable	750,000	750,000	750,000
Borrowings under lines-of-credit	6,020,507	4,178,784	5,148,635
Accounts payable	2,049,786	1,882,249	1,461,543
Accrued expenses	1,303,914	1,338,446	976,380
Customer deposits and accrued interest	1,325,160	1,034,319	1,379,835
Dividends declared	209,538	205,375	197,811
Deferred income taxes	252,432	147,779	332,643
Total current liabilities	13,244,896	10,482,015	11,367,779
Long-term debt, less current installments	10,916,929	11,534,801	10,222,119
Deferred credits and other liabilities
Deferred compensation	1,516,841	1,849,019	1,938,106
Deferred pension costs & post-retirement benefits	6,962,239	6,622,459	6,115,712
Other	338,201	316,556	68,403
Total deferred credits and other liabilities	8,817,281	8,788,034	8,122,221
Common stockholders' equity
Common stock (common stock $5.00 par value per share. Authorized 3,500,000 shares; issued and outstanding 1,823,967 shares at December 31,2011, 1,148,628 shares at December 31,2010 and 1,787,769 at September 30,2011)	9,119,835	8,938,845	5,743,140
Other paid-in capital	7,644,375	7,382,167	8,158,076
Retained earnings	1,220,045	1,018,766	2,368,721
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(2,829,375)	(2,693,196)	(2,403,559)
Total common stockholders' equity	15,154,880	14,646,582	13,866,378
Total liabilities and capitalization	$ 48,133,986	$ 45,451,432	$ 43,578,497