Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies Litigation and Environmental Matters With respect to the specific litigation and environmental-related matters or claims that were disclosed in Note 10 to the financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014, there were no material changes in the status of such litigation and environmental-related matters or claims during the three months ended December 31, 2014. We are a party to various litigation and environmental-related matters or claims that have arisen in the ordinary course of our business. While the results of such litigation and response actions to such environmental-related matters or claims cannot be predicted with certainty, we continue to believe the final outcome of such litigation and matters or claims will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Purchase Commitments AEH has commitments to purchase physical quantities of natural gas under contracts indexed to the forward NYMEX strip or fixed price contracts. At December 31, 2014, AEH was committed to purchase 93.2 Bcf within one year, 11.6 Bcf within one to three years and 0.4 Bcf after three years under indexed contracts. AEH is committed to purchase 5.1 Bcf within one year under fixed price contracts with prices ranging from $1.22 to $4.49 per Mcf. Purchases under these contracts totaled $383.0 million and $350.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2014 and 2013. Our regulated distribution divisions, except for our Mid-Tex Division, maintain supply contracts with several vendors that generally cover a period of up to one year. Commitments for estimated base gas volumes are established under these contracts on a monthly basis at contractually negotiated prices. Commitments for incremental daily purchases are made as necessary during the month in accordance with the terms of the individual contract. Our Mid-Tex Division also maintains a limited number of long-term supply contracts to ensure a reliable source of gas for our customers in its service area which obligate it to purchase specified volumes at prices indexed to natural gas distribution hubs. At December 31, 2014, we were committed to purchase 47.0 Bcf within one year and 57.7 Bcf within one to three years under indexed contracts. Purchases under these contracts totaled $46.5 million, and $30.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2014 and 2013. Our nonregulated segment maintains long-term contracts related to storage and transportation. The estimated contractual demand fees for contracted storage and transportation under these contracts are detailed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014. There were no material changes to the estimated storage and transportation fees for the three months ended December 31, 2014. Regulatory Matters Various regulatory agencies, including the SEC and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, continue to adopt regulations implementing many of the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010. We continue to enact new procedures and modify existing business practices and contractual arrangements to comply with such regulations. Additional rulemakings are pending which we believe will result in new reporting and disclosure obligations. The costs associated with hedging certain risks inherent in our business may be further increased when these expected additional regulations are adopted. As of December 31, 2014, rate cases were in progress in our Mid-Tex and Tennessee service areas, annual rate filing mechanisms were in progress in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi and an infrastructure program and an other ratemaking filing were in progress in Kansas. These regulatory proceedings are discussed in further detail below in Management’s Discussion and Analysis — Recent Ratemaking Developments.

Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation and Environmental Matters

With respect to the specific litigation and environmental-related matters or claims that were disclosed in Note 10 to the financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014, there were no material changes in the status of such litigation and environmental-related matters or claims during the three months ended December 31, 2014.

We are a party to various litigation and environmental-related matters or claims that have arisen in the ordinary course of our business. While the results of such litigation and response actions to such environmental-related matters or claims cannot be predicted with certainty, we continue to believe the final outcome of such litigation and matters or claims will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Purchase Commitments

AEH has commitments to purchase physical quantities of natural gas under contracts indexed to the forward NYMEX strip or fixed price contracts. At December 31, 2014, AEH was committed to purchase 93.2 Bcf within one year, 11.6 Bcf within one to three years and 0.4 Bcf after three years under indexed contracts. AEH is committed to purchase 5.1 Bcf within one year under fixed price contracts with prices ranging from $1.22 to $4.49 per Mcf. Purchases under these contracts totaled $383.0 million and $350.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.

Our regulated distribution divisions, except for our Mid-Tex Division, maintain supply contracts with several vendors that generally cover a period of up to one year. Commitments for estimated base gas volumes are established under these contracts on a monthly basis at contractually negotiated prices. Commitments for incremental daily purchases are made as necessary during the month in accordance with the terms of the individual contract.

Our Mid-Tex Division also maintains a limited number of long-term supply contracts to ensure a reliable source of gas for our customers in its service area which obligate it to purchase specified volumes at prices indexed to natural gas distribution hubs. At December 31, 2014, we were committed to purchase 47.0 Bcf within one year and 57.7 Bcf within one to three years under indexed contracts. Purchases under these contracts totaled $46.5 million, and $30.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.

Our nonregulated segment maintains long-term contracts related to storage and transportation. The estimated contractual demand fees for contracted storage and transportation under these contracts are detailed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014. There were no material changes to the estimated storage and transportation fees for the three months ended December 31, 2014.

Regulatory Matters

Various regulatory agencies, including the SEC and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, continue to adopt regulations implementing many of the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010. We continue to enact new procedures and modify existing business practices and contractual arrangements to comply with such regulations. Additional rulemakings are pending which we believe will result in new reporting and disclosure obligations. The costs associated with hedging certain risks inherent in our business may be further increased when these expected additional regulations are adopted.

As of December 31, 2014, rate cases were in progress in our Mid-Tex and Tennessee service areas, annual rate filing mechanisms were in progress in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi and an infrastructure program and an other ratemaking filing were in progress in Kansas. These regulatory proceedings are discussed in further detail below in Management’s Discussion and Analysis — Recent Ratemaking Developments.