COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES:

STANDBY LETTER OF CREDIT -    SJG provided a $25.2 million letter of credit under a separate facility outside of the revolving credit facility to support variable-rate demand bonds issued through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) to finance the expansion of SJG’s natural gas distribution system. 

ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION COSTS - SJG incurred and recorded costs for environmental cleanup of 12 sites where SJG or its predecessors operated gas manufacturing plants. SJG stopped manufacturing gas in the 1950s. There have been no significant changes to the status of SJG’s environmental remediation efforts since December 31, 2012, as described in Note 12 to the Financial Statements in Item 8 of SJG’s Form 10-K as of December 31, 2012.

GAS SUPPLY RELATED CONTRACTS - In the normal course of conducting business, we have entered into long-term contracts for natural gas supplies, firm transportation and gas storage service. The earliest date at which any of the primary terms of these contracts expire is October 2013. The transportation and storage agreements entered into between us and each of our interstate pipeline service providers were done so in accordance with their respective FERC approved tariff. Our cumulative obligation for gas supply related demand charges and reservation fees paid for these services averages approximately $4.3 million per month and is recovered on a current basis through the BGSS.

PENDING LITIGATION - We are subject to claims arising in the ordinary course of business and other legal proceedings. We accrue liabilities related to these claims when we can reasonably estimate the amount or range of amounts of probable settlement costs or other charges for these claims. The Company has accrued approximately $0.6 million and $0.5 million related to all claims in the aggregate, as of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively.. Management does not believe that it is reasonably possible that there will be a material change in the Company's estimated liability in the near term and does not currently anticipate the disposition of any known claims that would have a material effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS - Unionized personnel represent approximately 62% of our workforce at March 31, 2013. The Company has collective bargaining agreements with two unions who represent these employees. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) operated under a collective bargaining agreement that was set to expire February 28, 2013; however a new collective bargaining agreement was agreed to and commenced on March 1, 2013 and runs through February 28, 2017, The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) operates under a collective bargaining agreement that runs expires in August 2014.