Summary of Business and Basis of Presentation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Business and Basis of Presentation

Note 1 – Summary of Business and Basis of Presentation

Nature of Business

Gas Natural Inc. (the “Company”) is a natural gas company with operations in seven states. The Company’s primary operations are natural gas utility companies located throughout these states. The Company’s operations also include marketing and production of natural gas, gas pipeline transmission, and gathering operations. Along with its corporate level operations, these areas of operation represent the Company’s four main operating segments and are described below.

•     Natural Gas Operations	Annually distributes approximately 36 Bcf of natural gas to approximately 73,000 customers. The Company’s natural gas utility subsidiaries are Public Gas Company (Kentucky), Bangor Gas (Maine), Cut Bank Gas Company (Montana), Energy West Montana (Montana), Frontier Natural Gas (North Carolina), Brainard Gas Corp. (Ohio), Northeast Ohio Natural Gas Corporation (Ohio), Orwell Natural Gas Company (Ohio and Pennsylvania) and Energy West Wyoming (Wyoming).
•     Marketing and Production Operations	Annually markets approximately 1.5 Bcf of natural gas to commercial and industrial customers in Montana, Wyoming, Ohio, and Pennsylvania through the Company’s EWR and GNR subsidiaries. The EWR subsidiary also manages midstream supply and production assets for transportation customers and utilities. EWR owns an average 51% gross working interest (average 43% net revenue interest) in 160 natural gas producing wells and gas gathering assets located in Glacier and Toole Counties in Montana.
•     Pipeline Operations	The Shoshone interstate and Glacier gathering natural gas pipelines located in Montana and Wyoming are owned through the subsidiary, EWD. Certain natural gas producing wells owned by EWD are being managed and reported under the marketing and production operations.
•     Corporate and Other	Encompasses costs associated with business development and acquisitions, dispositions of subsidiary entities, results of discontinued operations, dividend income, recognized gains or losses from the sale of marketable securities, and activity from Lone Wolfe which serves as an insurance agent for the Company and other businesses in the energy industry.

Energy West was originally incorporated in Montana in 1909 and was reorganized as a holding company in 2009 to facilitate future acquisitions and corporate-level financing to support the Company’s growth strategy. On July 9, 2010, the Company changed its name to Gas Natural Inc. and reincorporated from Montana to Ohio. Moving the incorporation to Ohio enhanced the Company’s flexibility and provided a more efficient platform from which to operate and grow.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2013, which has been derived from audited financial statements, and the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements of Gas Natural Inc. have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information, the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not contain all disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles. In the opinion of the Company, all normal recurring adjustments have been made, that are necessary to fairly present the results of operations for the interim periods. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period amounts to conform to current period presentation. Such reclassifications have no effect on net income as previously reported.

Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2014. A majority of the Company’s revenues are derived from its natural gas utility operations, making its revenue seasonal in nature. Therefore, the largest portion of the Company’s operating revenue is generated during the colder months when its sales volume increases considerably. Reference should be made to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.

There have been no material changes in the Company’s significant accounting policies during the three months ended March 31, 2014 as compared to the significant accounting policies described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.