RATES AND REGULATORY ACTIONS	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Abstract]
RATES AND REGULATORY ACTIONS	RATES AND REGULATORY ACTIONS: SJG is subject to the rules and regulations of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU). In May 2012, SJG filed a petition requesting the approval of a new Energy Efficiency Program (“EEP II”). The petition requests the approval to continue its Energy Efficiency Tracker (“EET”) to recover all costs associated with the EEP II through a $3.1 million increase in annual revenues. These programs provide customers with increased incentives to reduce their natural gas consumption. This petition is currently pending. In September 2012, the BPU approved the 2010 and 2011 Annual EET true-up filings resulting in a $4.7 million increase in annual revenues, effective October 1, 2012. In June 2012, SJG filed a petition requesting a continuation of the Energy Efficiency Program (“EEP I”) to bridge the gap between the expiration of the EEP I program on April 30, 2012 and the implementation of the proposed new EEP II program. This petition was approved by the BPU in August 2012. Also in June, SJG filed its annual EET rate adjustment petition requesting a $5.8 million increase in annual revenues to recover the costs associated with its EEP I program. This petition is still pending. Also in June 2012, the Company filed its annual Basic Gas Supply Service (“BGSS”) and Conservation Incentive Program (“CIP”) petition with the BPU. This petition requested a $27.0 million reduction in annual revenues for the BGSS and a $30.4 million increase in annual revenues for the CIP. Provisional rates were approved for both clauses by the BPU in September 2012, with rates commencing on October 1, 2012. In July 2012, SJG filed a petition to implement a five-year, $250.0 million Accelerated Infrastructure Replacement Program (“AIRP”). The Company proposed spending an incremental $50.0 million per year on the accelerated replacement of its cast iron and bare steel main and service infrastructure and is seeking a return on program investments as it had under prior Capital Investment Recovery Tracker ("CIRT") programs. This petition is still pending. In October 2012, SJG filed a petition requesting a $13.2 million increase in annual CIRT revenues which would result from rolling CIRT I, CIRT II and a portion of CIRT III investments into base rates effective January 1, 2013. This petition is currently pending. There have been no other significant regulatory actions or changes to SJG's rate structure since December 31, 2011. See Note 3 to the Financial Statements in Item 8 of SJG's Form 10-K as of December 31, 2011.

RATES AND REGULATORY ACTIONS:

SJG is subject to the rules and regulations of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU). In May 2012, SJG filed a petition requesting the approval of a new Energy Efficiency Program (“EEP II”). The petition requests the approval to continue its Energy Efficiency Tracker (“EET”) to recover all costs associated with the EEP II through a $3.1 million increase in annual revenues. These programs provide customers with increased incentives to reduce their natural gas consumption. This petition is currently pending.

In September 2012, the BPU approved the 2010 and 2011 Annual EET true-up filings resulting in a $4.7 million increase in annual revenues, effective October 1, 2012.

In June 2012, SJG filed a petition requesting a continuation of the Energy Efficiency Program (“EEP I”) to bridge the gap between the expiration of the EEP I program on April 30, 2012 and the implementation of the proposed new EEP II program. This petition was approved by the BPU in August 2012. Also in June, SJG filed its annual EET rate adjustment petition requesting a $5.8 million increase in annual revenues to recover the costs associated with its EEP I program. This petition is still pending.

Also in June 2012, the Company filed its annual Basic Gas Supply Service (“BGSS”) and Conservation Incentive Program (“CIP”) petition with the BPU. This petition requested a $27.0 million reduction in annual revenues for the BGSS and a $30.4 million increase in annual revenues for the CIP. Provisional rates were approved for both clauses by the BPU in September 2012, with rates commencing on October 1, 2012.

In July 2012, SJG filed a petition to implement a five-year, $250.0 million Accelerated Infrastructure Replacement Program (“AIRP”). The Company proposed spending an incremental $50.0 million per year on the accelerated replacement of its cast iron and bare steel main and service infrastructure and is seeking a return on program investments as it had under prior Capital Investment Recovery Tracker ("CIRT") programs. This petition is still pending.

In October 2012, SJG filed a petition requesting a $13.2 million increase in annual CIRT revenues which would result from rolling CIRT I, CIRT II and a portion of CIRT III investments into base rates effective January 1, 2013. This petition is currently pending.

There have been no other significant regulatory actions or changes to SJG's rate structure since December 31, 2011. See Note 3 to the Financial Statements in Item 8 of SJG's Form 10-K as of December 31, 2011.