Employee Benefit Plans

The Company maintains a non-contributory defined benefit pension plan (sometimes referred to as the “qualified pension plan”) for certain employees. After December 31, 2011, employees received no future benefits under the qualified pension plan as benefits were frozen and the employees now receive a defined contribution within the Badger Meter Employee Savings and Stock Ownership Plan (“ESSOP”) in its place. Employees continue to earn returns on their frozen balances under the qualified pension plan. The Company also maintains a non-contributory postretirement plan that provides medical benefits for certain of its retirees and eligible dependents in the United States.

The following table sets forth the components of net periodic benefit cost for the three months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 based on December 31, 2013 and 2012 actuarial measurement dates, respectively:



	Defined pension plan benefits						Other postretirement benefits
(In thousands)	2014			2013			2014		2013
Service cost – benefits earned during the year	$	15		$	7		$	32	$	32
Interest cost on projected benefit obligations	496			491			67		60
Expected return on plan assets	(703		)	(678		)	—		—
Amortization of prior service cost	—			—			41		34
Amortization of net loss	174			180			—		—
Settlement expense	680			46			—		—
Net periodic benefit cost	$	662		$	46		$	140	$	126

The following table sets forth the components of net periodic benefit cost for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 based on December 31, 2013 and 2012 actuarial measurement dates, respectively:



	Defined pension plan benefits						Other postretirement benefits
(In thousands)	2014			2013			2014		2013
Service cost – benefits earned during the year	$	47		$	22		$	97	$	116
Interest cost on projected benefit obligations	1,489			1,383			202		192
Expected return on plan assets	(2,110		)	(2,057		)	—		—
Amortization of prior service cost	—			—			121		120
Amortization of net loss	521			613			—		—
Settlement expense	680			793			—		—
Net periodic benefit cost	$	627		$	754		$	420	$	428

The Company disclosed in its financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2013 that it was not required to make a minimum contribution to the defined benefit pension plan for the 2014 calendar year. The Company continues to believe no additional contributions will be required during 2014. During the third quarter of 2014, the Company began moving assets within its defined pension plan from its equity and fixed income policy towards a strategy more focused on fixed income. The intent was to more closely align assets with the corresponding pension liability and reduce exposure in equities. This had no impact on the results of operations in the third quarter of 2014, but will likely increase expense in 2015 and beyond as the return on assets assumption is adjusted to reflect the new policy.

The Company also disclosed in its financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2013 that it estimated it would pay $0.5 million in other postretirement benefits in 2014 based on actuarial estimates. As of September 30, 2014, $0.3 million of such benefits have been paid. The Company continues to believe that its estimated payments for the full year are reasonable. However, such estimates contain inherent uncertainties because cash payments can vary significantly depending on the timing of postretirement medical claims and the collection of the retirees’ portion of certain costs. Note that the amount of benefits paid in calendar year 2014 will not impact the expense for postretirement benefits for 2014.