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Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits
 6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
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,
2020
2019
 
2020
2019





 




Service Cost
$
2,330

$
2,120

 
$
402

$
380

Interest Cost
7,483

9,594

 
3,228

4,286

Expected Return on Plan Assets
(15,016
)
(15,591
)
 
(7,308
)
(7,539
)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)
182

206

 
(107
)
(107
)
Amortization of Losses
9,846

8,024

 
134

1,490

Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)
5,519

4,786

 
8,846

6,565






 




Net Periodic Benefit Cost
$
10,344

$
9,139

 
$
5,195

$
5,075

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Retirement Plan
 
Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Six Months Ended March 31,
2020
2019
 
2020
2019
 
 
 
 
 
 
Service Cost
$
4,659

$
4,241

 
$
804

$
760

Interest Cost
14,965

19,189

 
6,457

8,572

Expected Return on Plan Assets
(30,032
)
(31,184
)
 
(14,616
)
(15,078
)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)
365

413

 
(214
)
(214
)
Amortization of Losses
19,692

16,048

 
267

2,980

Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)
7,047

5,604

 
15,094

10,536

 
 
 
 
 
 
Net Periodic Benefit Cost
$
16,696

$
14,311

 
$
7,792

$
7,556

 
 
 
 
 
 
(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.
 
The components of net periodic benefit cost other than service cost are presented in Other Income (Deductions) on the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Employer Contributions.    During the six months ended March 31, 2020, the Company contributed $19.3 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 2020, the Company expects its contributions to the Retirement Plan to be in the range of $5.0 million to $10.0 million. In the remainder of 2020, the Company expects its contributions to its VEBA trusts to be in the range of $0.5 million to $1.0 million.

The market turbulence resulting from COVID-19 has not had a significant impact to the plan assets or funded status of the Retirement Plan or VEBA trusts at this time. The Company will continue to monitor the performance of its Retirement Plan and VEBA trusts during the pandemic crisis to determine if funding requirements will need to increase during the remainder of 2020.