Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011
Plant
Utility property, plant and equipment	$ 52,104,246	$ 47,490,565	$ 46,301,020
Less: accumulated depreciation	(15,602,485)	(14,361,951)	(14,061,321)
Total plant utility and non-utility, net	36,501,761	33,128,614	32,239,699
Investments
Marketable securities available-for-sale at fair value	2,188,414	2,267,268	2,402,992
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	107,988	173,245	161,107
Customer accounts receivable, (net of allowance for uncollectible accounts of $79,933, $32,634 and $46,080) respectively	1,814,478	1,598,241	1,983,706
Gas stored underground, at average cost	1,672,727	2,832,932	1,906,831
Materials and supplies inventory	1,101,700	1,188,017	726,569
Deferred income tax			216,380
Prepaid expenses	952,881	703,959	913,638
Total current assets	5,649,774	6,496,394	5,908,231
Regulatory assets
Unrecovered gas costs	275,267	536,648	17,150
Deferred regulatory costs	2,337,238	1,207,028	1,035,836
Unamortized debt issuance cost (net of accumulated amortization of $477,861, $431,839 and $443,854), respectively	253,069	286,093	281,753
Deferred income taxes	769,814	1,308,298
Other	234,766	221,089	232,074
Total deferred debits and other assets	3,870,154	3,559,156	1,566,813
Total assets	48,210,103	45,451,432	42,117,735
Current liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt	1,341,751	945,063	1,145,269
Demand notes payable	750,000	750,000	750,000
Borrowings under lines-of-credit	4,530,844	4,178,784	2,358,958
Accounts payable	1,821,648	1,882,249	1,702,540
Accrued expenses	1,241,152	1,338,446	1,310,146
Customer deposits and accrued interest	784,319	1,034,319	589,206
Dividends declared	236,435	205,375	200,869
Deferred income taxes	223,509	147,779
Total current liabilities	10,929,658	10,482,015	8,056,988
Long-term debt, less current installments	10,434,184	11,534,801	9,807,519
Deferred credits and other liabilities
Deferred income tax			733,955
Deferred compensation	1,198,217	1,849,019	1,850,111
Deferred pension costs & post-retirement benefits	7,502,091	6,622,459	6,855,493
Other	297,907	316,556	167,201
Total deferred credits and other liabilities	8,998,215	8,788,034	9,606,760
Common stockholders' equity
Common stock (common stock $5.00 par value per share. Authorized 3,500,000 shares; issued and outstanding 1,972,193 shares at June 30, 2012, 1,748,582 shares at June 30, 2011 and 1,787,769 at September 30, 2011)	9,860,965	8,938,845	8,742,910
Other paid-in capital	9,033,104	7,382,167	7,065,322
Retained earnings	1,953,719	1,018,766	1,484,905
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(2,999,742)	(2,693,196)	(2,646,669)
Total common stockholders' equity	17,848,046	14,646,582	14,646,468
Total liabilities and capitalization	$ 48,210,103	$ 45,451,432	$ 42,117,735