Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Plant
Utility property, plant and equipment	$ 54,198,924	$ 47,490,565
Less: accumulated depreciation	(15,888,267)	(14,361,951)
Total plant utility and non-utility, net	38,310,657	33,128,614
Investments
Marketable securities available-for-sale at fair value	2,271,721	2,267,268
Investment in joint ventures	349,193
[InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue]	2,620,914	2,267,268
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	70,083	173,245
Customer accounts receivable, (net of allowance for uncollectible accounts of $209,615 and $46,080), respectively	1,626,283	1,598,241
Gas stored underground, at average cost	2,111,264	2,832,932
Materials and supplies inventory	1,173,104	1,222,019
Prepaid expenses	726,744	703,959
Total current assets	5,707,478	6,530,396
Regulatory assets
Unrecovered gas costs	1,545,235	536,648
Deferred regulatory costs	1,545,790	1,207,028
Unamortized debt issuance cost (net of accumulated amortization of $489,522 and $443,854), respectively	249,211	286,093
Deferred income taxes	1,375,665	1,308,298
Other	259,254	221,089
Total deferred debits and other assets	4,975,155	3,559,156
Total assets	51,614,204	45,485,434
Current liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt	1,571,553	1,300,063
Demand notes payable	750,000	750,000
Borrowings under lines-of-credit	2,196,995	4,178,784
Accounts payable	1,501,193	1,882,249
Accrued expenses	872,702	1,372,448
Customer deposits and accrued interest	1,032,739	1,034,319
Dividends declared	266,205	205,375
Deferred income taxes	270,720	147,779
Total current liabilities	8,462,107	10,871,017
Long-term debt, less current installments	12,565,527	11,179,801
Deferred credits and other liabilities
Deferred compensation	1,499,264	1,849,019
Deferred pension costs & post-retirement benefits	7,680,065	6,622,459
Other	431,680	316,556
Total deferred credits and other liabilities	9,611,009	8,788,034
Common stockholders' equity
Common stock (common stock $5.00 par value per share. Authorized 3,500,000 shares; issued and outstanding 2.220,271 shares at September 30, 2012 and 1,787,769 at September 30, 2011)	11,101,355	8,938,845
Other paid-in capital	11,698,763	7,382,167
Retained earnings	1,421,918	1,018,766
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(3,246,475)	(2,693,196)
Total common stockholders' equity	20,975,561	14,646,582
Total liabilities and capitalization	$ 51,614,204	$ 45,485,434