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Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits
 6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Retirement Plan and Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Retirement Plan and Other Post-Retirement Benefits
 
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (in thousands):
 
 
Retirement Plan
 
Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Three Months Ended March 31,
2018
2017
 
2018
2017





 




Service Cost
$
2,480

$
2,992

 
$
458

$
612

Interest Cost
8,252

9,596

 
3,700

4,752

Expected Return on Plan Assets
(15,429
)
(14,929
)
 
(7,871
)
(7,865
)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)
235

264

 
(107
)
(107
)
Amortization of Losses
9,301

10,672

 
2,639

4,604

Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)
6,492

6,234

 
6,250

3,790






 




Net Periodic Benefit Cost
$
11,331

$
14,829

 
$
5,069

$
5,786

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Retirement Plan
 
Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Six Months Ended March 31,
2018
2017
 
2018
2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
Service Cost
$
4,960

$
5,984

 
$
915

$
1,224

Interest Cost
16,503

19,192

 
7,400

9,504

Expected Return on Plan Assets
(30,857
)
(29,859
)
 
(15,741
)
(15,729
)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)
469

529

 
(214
)
(214
)
Amortization of Losses
18,602

21,343

 
5,279

9,207

Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)
8,214

6,770

 
9,858

5,102

 
 
 
 
 
 
Net Periodic Benefit Cost
$
17,891

$
23,959

 
$
7,497

$
9,094

 
 
 
 
 
 
(1) 
The Company’s policy is to record retirement plan and other post-retirement benefit costs in the Utility segment on a volumetric basis to reflect the fact that the Utility segment experiences higher throughput of natural gas in the winter months and lower throughput of natural gas in the summer months.
 
Employer Contributions.    During the six months ended March 31, 2018, the Company contributed $27.6 million to its tax-qualified, noncontributory defined-benefit retirement plan (Retirement Plan) and $2.1 million to its VEBA trusts for its other post-retirement benefits.  In the remainder of 2018, the Company may contribute up to $5.0 million to the Retirement Plan. In the remainder of 2018, the Company expects its contributions to the VEBA trusts to be in the range of $0.5 million to $1.0 million.