Regulatory Matters	3 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2011
Regulatory Matters [Abstract]
Public Utilities Disclosure	2. Regulatory Matters On February 26, 2010, we filed a petition with the Tennessee Regulatory Authority (TRA) to adjust the applicable rate for the collection of the Nashville franchise fee from certain customers. The proposed rate adjustment was calculated to recover the net $2.9 million of under-collected Nashville franchise fee payments as of May 31, 2009. On April 12, 2010, the TRA passed a motion approving a new Nashville franchise fee rate designed to recover only the net under-collections that have accrued since June 1, 2005, which would deny recovery of $1.5 million for us. Once the TRA issues its order on this matter, we intend to seek their reconsideration. We are unable to predict the outcome of this proceeding at this time. However, we do not believe this matter will have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. On September 9, 2010, we filed an annual report with the TRA reflecting the shared gas cost savings from gains and losses derived from gas purchase benchmarking and secondary market transactions for the twelve months ended June 30, 2010 under the Tennessee Incentive Plan (TIP). On April 20, 2011, the TRA staff filed their compliance audit report that recommended approval of our TIP account balances. On May 9, 2011, the TRA passed a motion approving the findings and recommendations of the TRA staff's compliance audit report. On December 6, 2010, we filed our report for the eighteen months ended June 30, 2010 with the TRA that reflected the transactions in the deferred gas cost account for the Actual Cost Adjustment (ACA) mechanism. This one-time eighteen month audit period is designed to synchronize the ACA audit year with the TIP plan year in order to facilitate the audit process for future periods. We are unable to predict the outcome of this proceeding at this time. However, we do not believe this matter will have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. On February 15, 2011, the Public Service Commission of South Carolina (PSCSC) set a hearing date of July 13, 2011 for our annual review of purchased gas costs and gas purchasing policies for the twelve months ended March 31, 2011. We are unable to predict the outcome of this proceeding at this time. On February 24, 2011, the Office of Regulatory Staff requested that the PSCSC suspend the commission-approved gas hedging programs operated by the regulated gas utilities in South Carolina due to more moderate market conditions currently existing for the cost of natural gas. This suspension of the hedging program is requested to be effective prospectively upon the issuance of an order by the PSCSC. All existing hedges would continue to be managed under the current approved hedging programs as gas costs in purchased gas adjustment (PGA) proceedings. On March 4, 2011, we filed a letter with the PSCSC stating that we believe that it is reasonable and prudent to continue our current hedging program to provide some degree of high gas price protection for natural gas consumers. We believe that some price volatility will continue to exist in the market due to unpredictable events. Oral arguments and informational briefings on this matter were heard by the PSCSC on April 21, 2011. On May 25, 2011 the PSCSC voted to open a new, generic docket on this issue to expand the discussion to include the state's requested regulated electric utilities as well. We are unable to predict the outcome of this proceeding at this time. However, we do not believe this matter will have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Regulatory Matters

3 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2011

2. Regulatory Matters

On February 26, 2010, we filed a petition with the Tennessee Regulatory Authority (TRA) to adjust the applicable rate for the collection of the Nashville franchise fee from certain customers. The proposed rate adjustment was calculated to recover the net $2.9 million of under-collected Nashville franchise fee payments as of May 31, 2009. On April 12, 2010, the TRA passed a motion approving a new Nashville franchise fee rate designed to recover only the net under-collections that have accrued since June 1, 2005, which would deny recovery of $1.5 million for us. Once the TRA issues its order on this matter, we intend to seek their reconsideration. We are unable to predict the outcome of this proceeding at this time. However, we do not believe this matter will have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

On September 9, 2010, we filed an annual report with the TRA reflecting the shared gas cost savings from gains and losses derived from gas purchase benchmarking and secondary market transactions for the twelve months ended June 30, 2010 under the Tennessee Incentive Plan (TIP). On April 20, 2011, the TRA staff filed their compliance audit report that recommended approval of our TIP account balances. On May 9, 2011, the TRA passed a motion approving the findings and recommendations of the TRA staff's compliance audit report.

On December 6, 2010, we filed our report for the eighteen months ended June 30, 2010 with the TRA that reflected the transactions in the deferred gas cost account for the Actual Cost Adjustment (ACA) mechanism. This one-time eighteen month audit period is designed to synchronize the ACA audit year with the TIP plan year in order to facilitate the audit process for future periods. We are unable to predict the outcome of this proceeding at this time. However, we do not believe this matter will have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

On February 15, 2011, the Public Service Commission of South Carolina (PSCSC) set a hearing date of July 13, 2011 for our annual review of purchased gas costs and gas purchasing policies for the twelve months ended March 31, 2011. We are unable to predict the outcome of this proceeding at this time.

On February 24, 2011, the Office of Regulatory Staff requested that the PSCSC suspend the commission-approved gas hedging programs operated by the regulated gas utilities in South Carolina due to more moderate market conditions currently existing for the cost of natural gas. This suspension of the hedging program is requested to be effective prospectively upon the issuance of an order by the PSCSC. All existing hedges would continue to be managed under the current approved hedging programs as gas costs in purchased gas adjustment (PGA) proceedings. On March 4, 2011, we filed a letter with the PSCSC stating that we believe that it is reasonable and prudent to continue our current hedging program to provide some degree of high gas price protection for natural gas consumers. We believe that some price volatility will continue to exist in the market due to unpredictable events. Oral arguments and informational briefings on this matter were heard by the PSCSC on April 21, 2011. On May 25, 2011 the PSCSC voted to open a new, generic docket on this issue to expand the discussion to include the state's requested regulated electric utilities as well. We are unable to predict the outcome of this proceeding at this time. However, we do not believe this matter will have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.