Fair Value Measurements (Recurring Fair Value Measures Of Assets And Liabilities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash Equivalents - Money Market Mutual Funds	[1]	$ 10,323	$ 92,196
Hedging Collateral Deposits	[1]	9,551	11,124
Total Assets	[1]	360,032	421,339
Total Liabilities	[1]	7,969	10,076
Total Net Assets/(Liabilities)	[1]	352,063	411,263
Commodity Futures Contracts - Gas [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	[1]	0	0
Derivative Liability	[1]	6,327	8,903
Over The Counter Swaps - Gas And Oil [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	[1]	282,468	273,318
Derivative Liability	[1]	1,642	1,173
Foreign Currency Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	[1]	(5,059)	(2,955)
Derivative Liability	[1]	0	0
Balanced Equity Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments	[1]	36,096	34,884
Fixed Income Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments	[1]	21,980	8,004
Common Stock - Financial Services Industry [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments	[1]	4,179	4,318
Other Common Stock [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments	[1]	494	450
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash Equivalents - Money Market Mutual Funds		10,323	92,196
Hedging Collateral Deposits		9,551	11,124
Total Assets		87,973	157,349
Total Liabilities		11,677	15,276
Total Net Assets/(Liabilities)		76,296	142,073
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Commodity Futures Contracts - Gas [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset		5,350	6,373
Derivative Liability		11,677	15,276
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Over The Counter Swaps - Gas And Oil [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset		0	0
Derivative Liability		0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Foreign Currency Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset		0	0
Derivative Liability		0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Balanced Equity Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		36,096	34,884
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Fixed Income Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		21,980	8,004
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Common Stock - Financial Services Industry [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		4,179	4,318
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Other Common Stock [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		494	450
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash Equivalents - Money Market Mutual Funds		0	0
Hedging Collateral Deposits		0	0
Total Assets		284,066	272,335
Total Liabilities		8,299	4,936
Total Net Assets/(Liabilities)		275,767	267,399
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Commodity Futures Contracts - Gas [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset		0	0
Derivative Liability		0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Over The Counter Swaps - Gas And Oil [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset		284,066	272,335
Derivative Liability		3,240	1,981
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Foreign Currency Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset		0	0
Derivative Liability		5,059	2,955
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Balanced Equity Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Fixed Income Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Common Stock - Financial Services Industry [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Other Common Stock [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash Equivalents - Money Market Mutual Funds		0	0
Hedging Collateral Deposits		0	0
Total Assets		0	1,791
Total Liabilities		0	0
Total Net Assets/(Liabilities)		0	1,791
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Commodity Futures Contracts - Gas [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset		0	0
Derivative Liability		0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Over The Counter Swaps - Gas And Oil [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset		0	1,791
Derivative Liability		0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Foreign Currency Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset		0	0
Derivative Liability		0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Balanced Equity Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Fixed Income Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Common Stock - Financial Services Industry [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Other Common Stock [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		0	0
Netting Adjustments [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash Equivalents - Money Market Mutual Funds	[1]	0	0
Hedging Collateral Deposits	[1]	0	0
Total Assets	[1]	(12,007)	(10,136)
Total Liabilities	[1]	(12,007)	(10,136)
Total Net Assets/(Liabilities)	[1]	0	0
Netting Adjustments [Member] | Commodity Futures Contracts - Gas [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	[1]	(5,350)	(6,373)
Derivative Liability	[1]	(5,350)	(6,373)
Netting Adjustments [Member] | Over The Counter Swaps - Gas And Oil [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	[1]	(1,598)	(808)
Derivative Liability	[1]	(1,598)	(808)
Netting Adjustments [Member] | Foreign Currency Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	[1]	(5,059)	(2,955)
Derivative Liability	[1]	(5,059)	(2,955)
Netting Adjustments [Member] | Balanced Equity Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments	[1]	0	0
Netting Adjustments [Member] | Fixed Income Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments	[1]	0	0
Netting Adjustments [Member] | Common Stock - Financial Services Industry [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments	[1]	0	0
Netting Adjustments [Member] | Other Common Stock [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments	[1]	$ 0	$ 0

[1] Netting Adjustments represent the impact of legally-enforceable master netting arrangements that allow the Company to net gain and loss positions held with the same counterparties. The net asset or net liability for each counterparty is recorded as an asset or liability on the Company’s balance sheet.