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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]  
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

1.
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

These notes are an integral part of the accompanying unaudited financial statements of Laclede Gas Company (Laclede Gas or the Utility). In the opinion of Laclede Gas, this interim report includes all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring accruals) necessary for the fair presentation of the results of operations for the periods presented. Laclede Gas is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Laclede Group Inc. (Laclede Group). This Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Notes to Financial Statements contained in the Utility’s Fiscal Year 2011 Form 10-K.
Laclede Gas is a regulated natural gas distribution utility having a material seasonal cycle. As a result, these interim statements of income for Laclede Gas are not necessarily indicative of annual results or representative of succeeding quarters of the fiscal year. Due to the seasonal nature of the business of Laclede Gas, earnings are typically concentrated in the November through April period, which generally corresponds with the heating season.
BASIS OF PRESENTATION - In compliance with generally accepted accounting principles, transactions between Laclede Gas and its affiliates as well as intercompany balances on Laclede Gas’ Balance Sheets have not been eliminated from the Laclede Gas financial statements. Transactions with associated companies include sales of natural gas from Laclede Gas to Laclede Energy Resources, Inc. (LER), sales of natural gas from LER to Laclede Gas, and transportation services provided by Laclede Pipeline Company to Laclede Gas. Sales of natural gas from Laclede Gas to LER were negligible for the three months ended December 31, 2011 and were $0.9 million for the same period last year. Sales of natural gas from LER to Laclede Gas during the three months ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 totaled $6.6 million and $8.7 million, respectively. Transportation services provided by Laclede Pipeline Company to Laclede Gas totaled $0.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2011 and 2010.
Laclede Gas provides administrative and general support to affiliates. All such costs, which are not material, are billed to the appropriate affiliates. Also, Laclede Group may charge or reimburse Laclede Gas for certain tax-related amounts. Unpaid balances relating to these activities are reflected in the Laclede Gas Balance Sheets as Accounts receivable-Associated companies or as Accounts payable-associated companies. Additionally, Laclede Gas may, on occasion, borrow funds from Laclede Group. Unpaid balances relating to this arrangement, if any, are reflected in Notes payable-associated companies. Laclede Gas had outstanding borrowings from Laclede Group under a revolving credit note of $62.8 million, $52.9 million, and $68.9 million at December 31, 2011, September 30, 2011, and December 31, 2010, respectively. The interest rate on these borrowings was 0.3% at December 31, 2011 and September 30, 2011, and 0.4% at December 31, 2010. Advances under this note are due and payable on demand.
REVENUE RECOGNITION - Laclede Gas reads meters and bills its customers on monthly cycles. The Utility records its utility operating revenues from gas sales and transportation services on an accrual basis that includes estimated amounts for gas delivered, but not yet billed. The accruals for unbilled revenues are reversed in the subsequent accounting period when meters are actually read and customers are billed. The amounts of accrued unbilled revenues at December 31, 2011 and 2010, for the Utility, were $38.3 million and $54.6 million, respectively. The amount of accrued unbilled revenue at September 30, 2011 was $11.8 million.
GROSS RECEIPTS TAXES - Gross receipts taxes associated with Laclede Gas’ natural gas utility service are imposed on the Utility and billed to its customers. These amounts are recorded gross in the Statements of Income. Amounts recorded in Utility Operating Revenues for the quarters ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 were $10.2 million, and $11.3 million, respectively. Gross receipts taxes are expensed by the Utility and included in the Taxes, other than income taxes line.
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION – Officers and employees of Laclede Gas, as determined by the Compensation Committee of Laclede Group’s Board of Directors, are eligible to be selected for awards under the Laclede Group 2006 Equity Incentive Plan. For Laclede Group’s non-employee directors, shares are awarded under the Restricted Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors. Refer to Note 1 of the Notes to Financial Statements included in Laclede Gas’ Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 for descriptions of these plans. For awards made to its employees, the Utility records its allocation of compensation cost from Laclede Group with a corresponding increase to additional paid-in capital.
The amounts of compensation cost allocated to the Utility for share-based compensation arrangements for the quarters ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 are presented below:

     
Three Months Ended
   
     
December 31,
   
 
(Thousands)
   
2011
   
2010
   
                   
 
Total equity compensation cost
 
$
567
 
$
613
   
 
Compensation cost capitalized
   
(138
)
 
(154
)
 
 
Compensation cost recognized in net income
   
429
   
459
   
 
Income tax benefit recognized in net income
   
(165
)
 
(177
)
 
 
Compensation cost recognized in net income, net of income tax
 
$
264
 
$
282
   

As of December 31, 2011, there was $5.6 million in unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested share-based compensation arrangements that is expected to be allocated to the Utility over a weighted average period of 2.4 years.
NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS – In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2011-04, “Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs.” This ASU amends Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” to improve the comparability of fair value measurements presented and disclosed in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The ASU does not change what items are measured at fair value, but instead makes various changes to the guidance pertaining to how fair value is measured. Additionally, the ASU sets forth additional disclosure requirements, including additional information about Level 3 fair value measurements. Many of the amendments in this ASU are changes to align the wording in U.S. GAAP with IFRS and, as such, are not intended to result in a change in the application of the guidance. The Utility is required to adopt the guidance in this ASU on a prospective basis in the second quarter of fiscal year 2012. The Utility does not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on its financial condition or results of operations.
In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, “Presentation of Comprehensive Income,” to amend ASC Topic 220, “Comprehensive Income,” by changing certain financial statement presentation requirements. Under the amended guidance, entities may either present a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or, consistent with the Utility’s current presentation, provide separate but consecutive statements (a statement of income and a statement of comprehensive income). ASU No. 2011-05 would have required that, regardless of the method chosen, reclassification adjustments from other comprehensive income to net income be presented on the face of the financial statements, displaying the effect on both net income and other comprehensive income. However, in December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-12 to defer the effective date of this particular requirement while it reconsiders this provision of the guidance. The amendments in these ASUs do not change the items that are required to be reported in other comprehensive income and, accordingly, will not impact total net income, comprehensive income, or earnings per share.
In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-11, “Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities,” to amend ASC Topic 210, “Balance Sheet,” to require additional disclosures about financial instruments and derivative instruments that have been presented on a net basis (offset) in the balance sheet. Additionally, information about financial instruments and derivative instruments that are subject to enforceable master netting arrangements or similar agreements, irrespective of whether they are presented net in the balance sheet, is required to be disclosed. The ASU impacts disclosures only and will not require any changes to financial statement presentation. The Utility will present the new disclosures retrospectively beginning in the first quarter of fiscal year 2014.