Accounting Changes

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]

Accounting Changes

Note 3 — Accounting Changes

New Accounting Standards Adopted in Fiscal 2019

Revenue Recognition. Effective October 1, 2018, the Company adopted new accounting guidance regarding revenue recognition. See Notes 2 and 4 for a detailed description of the impact of the new guidance and related disclosures.

Cloud Computing Implementation Costs. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, “Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract.” The new guidance requires a customer in a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract to capitalize certain implementation costs as if the arrangement was an internal-use software project. These deferred implementation costs are expensed over the fixed, noncancelable term of the service arrangement plus any reasonably certain renewal periods. The new guidance also requires the entity to present the expense related to the capitalized implementation costs in the same income statement line as the hosting service fees; to classify payments for capitalized implementation costs in the statement of cash flows in the same manner as payments for hosting service fees; and to present the capitalized implementation costs in the balance sheet in the same line item in which prepaid hosting service fees are presented. We adopted this ASU effective October 1, 2018, and applied the guidance prospectively to all implementation costs associated with cloud computing arrangements that are service contracts incurred beginning October 1, 2018. As UGI Utilities receives rate recovery for cloud computing implementation costs, such costs will continue to be deferred as a regulatory asset and included as a component of property, plant, and equipment. The adoption of the new guidance did not have a material impact on our results of operations during Fiscal 2019.

Stranded Tax Effects in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, “Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income.” This ASU provides that the stranded tax effects in AOCI resulting from the remeasurement of deferred income taxes associated with items included in AOCI due to the enactment of the TCJA may be reclassified to retained earnings, at the election of the entity, in the period the ASU is adopted. We adopted this ASU effective October 1, 2018. In connection with the adoption of this guidance, we reclassified a benefit of $6.6 from AOCI to opening retained earnings as of October 1, 2018, to reflect the reduction in the federal income tax rate, and the federal benefit of state income taxes, on the components of AOCI.

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Costs. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, “Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost.” This ASU requires entities to disaggregate the service cost component from the other components of net periodic benefit cost and present it with compensation costs for related employees in the income statement. The other components are required to be presented elsewhere in the income statement and outside of income from operations. The amendments in this ASU permit only the service cost component to be eligible for capitalization, when applicable. For entities subject to rate regulation, including UGI Utilities, the ASU recognized that in the event a regulator continues to require capitalization of all net periodic benefit costs prospectively, the difference would result in the recognition of a regulatory asset or liability. We adopted this ASU effective October 1, 2018, with retrospective adoption for the presentation of pension and postretirement expense on the income statement and a prospective adoption for capitalization, as required by the ASU. The adoption of the new standard did not have a material impact on our financial statements.

Statement of Cash Flows - Restricted Cash. In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows: Restricted Cash.” The guidance in this ASU requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, as well as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. As a result, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents are included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts on the statement of cash flows. We adopted this ASU effective October 1, 2018 with retrospective adoption as required by the ASU.

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Costs Disclosures. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-14, “Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans.” This ASU modifies the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor

defined benefit pension or other postretirement plans by removing and adding certain disclosures for these plans. We adopted this ASU during the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2019 and applied the new guidance retrospectively for all periods presented in the financial statements. The adoption of the new guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statement disclosures.

Fair Value Measurements Disclosures. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, “Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement.” This ASU modifies the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by removing, modifying, or adding certain disclosures. We adopted this ASU during the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2019. The guidance regarding removing and modifying disclosures was adopted on a retrospective basis and the guidance regarding new disclosures has been adopted on a prospective basis. The adoption of the new guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statement disclosures.

New Accounting Standards Adopted Effective October 1, 2019

Derivatives and Hedging. In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-12, “Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities.” This ASU amends and simplifies existing guidance to allow companies to more accurately present the economic effects of risk management activities in the financial statements. The amendments in this ASU are effective for the Company for interim and annual periods beginning October 1, 2019 (Fiscal 2020). For cash flow and net investment hedges as of the adoption date, the guidance requires a modified retrospective approach. The amended presentation and disclosure guidance is required prospectively. The Company adopted the new guidance effective October 1, 2019. We do not expect the adoption of this new guidance will have a material impact on our financial statements.

Leases. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, "Leases." This ASU, as subsequently updated, amends existing guidance to require entities that lease assets to recognize the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by those leases on the balance sheet. The new guidance also requires additional disclosures about the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows from leases. The amendments in this ASU are effective for the Company for interim and annual periods beginning October 1, 2019 (Fiscal 2020). Lessees must apply a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements unless an entity chooses the transition option in ASU 2018-11, “Leases: Targeted Improvements” which, among other things, provides entities with a transition option to recognize the cumulative-effect adjustment from the modified retrospective application to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption.

We adopted this ASU, as updated, effective October 1, 2019, using the transition method which allows the Company to maintain historical presentation for periods before October 1, 2019. The Company elected to apply the following practical expedients:

• Short-term leases: We have excluded short-term leases (term of 12 months or less) from balance sheet presentation.

• Easements: We did not re-evaluate existing land easements that were not previously accounted for as leases.

• Other: We did not reassess the classification of expired or existing contracts or determine whether they are or contain a lease. We also did not reassess whether initial direct costs qualify for capitalization under this new guidance.

We enhanced controls and processes and implemented a new lease system that will enable the accumulation and presentation of financial information as required by the new standard. We continue to finalize our implementation efforts and estimate that the adoption will result in the recognition of approximately $400 to $600 of offsetting operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities associated with operating leases in effect at the date of adoption. We do not expect the adoption to have a material impact on the consolidated statements of income or cash flows.

Accounting Standard Not Yet Adopted

Credit Losses. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.” This ASU requires entities to estimate lifetime expected credit losses for financial instruments not measured at fair value through net income, including trade and other receivables, net investments in leases, financial receivables, debt securities, and other financial instruments, which may result in earlier recognition of credit losses. Further, the new current expected credit loss model may affect how entities estimate their allowance for loss for receivables that are current with respect to their payment terms. ASU 2016-13 is effective for the Company for interim and annual periods beginning October 1, 2020 (Fiscal 2021). Early adoption is permitted. The Company is in the process of assessing the impact on its financial statements from the adoption of the new guidance and determining the period in which the new guidance will be adopted.