Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income	$ 1,351,561	$ 1,348,828	$ 1,641,623
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation	1,698,458	1,478,953	713,066
Unamortized debt issuance cost	48,270	46,782	33,851
Regulatory Amortizations	1,462,451	1,610,453	1,619,537
Stock issued for services and stock option expense	246,353	176,057	235,902
Pension adjustment	(695,101)	(321,993)	679,023
Loss (Gain) on sale of marketable securities	(105,559)	45,118	(77,420)
Deferred income taxes	55,574	(1,550,808)	1,472,093
Bad debt expense	297,202	185,506	219,468
Undistributed earnings on joint ventures	(238,193)
(Increase) decrease in
Accounts receivable	(325,244)	(532,163)	(492,074)
Gas stored underground	721,668	(136,537)	(374,017)
Materials and supplies inventories	48,915	(413,340)	(124,634)
Prepaid expenses	(22,785)	263,079	628,391
Unrecovered gas costs	(1,008,587)	556,381	(223,756)
Deferred regulatory costs	(615,311)	(472,670)	(26,898)
Other	(38,165)	(52,755)	(93,641)
Increase (decrease) in
Accounts payable	(381,056)	514,365	89,373
Accrued expenses	(499,746)	495,511	(28,268)
Customer deposits and accrued interest	(1,580)	(48,749)	(40,118)
Deferred compensation	(349,755)	(89,087)	(82,667)
Deferred pension costs & post-retirement benefits	(128,296)	(493,144)	(1,618,042)
Other liabilities and deferred credits	175,954	171,050	125,611
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	1,697,028	2,780,837	4,276,403
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of securities available-for-sale	(1,241,816)	(2,174,041)	(1,552,126)
Sale of securities available-for-sale	1,484,744	2,097,174	1,576,686
Investment in joint ventures	(111,000)
Capital expenditures	(6,880,501)	(3,859,302)	(4,694,677)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(6,748,573)	(3,936,169)	(4,670,117)
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds under lines-of-credit	16,739,154	16,110,235	15,744,398
Repayment of lines-of-credit	(18,720,943)	(17,072,100)	(17,360,309)
Debt issuance cost expense	(11,388)	(29,407)	(69,486)
Cash received from sale of stock	6,232,753	673,140	2,233,548
Dividends paid	(948,409)	(774,896)	(548,150)
Proceeds under short-term debt			750,000
Proceeds under long-term debt	2,979,018	3,952,296	1,150,732
Repayment of short-term debt		(500,000)	(500,000)
Repayment of long-term debt	(1,321,802)	(1,100,243)	(1,115,033)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	4,948,383	1,259,025	285,700
Net (decrease) increase in cash	(103,162)	103,693	(108,014)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	173,245	69,552	177,566
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	70,083	173,245	69,552
Cash paid during the period for
Interest	973,627	894,820	926,763
Income Taxes	196,462	1,668,438	152,078
Non-cash investment activities - retirement of assets	$ 193,799	$ 198,302	$ 225,506