PENSION PLANS AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS - Net Periodic Cost (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Pension Plans
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Service cost – benefits earned during the period	$ 4.4	$ 2.4	$ 13.0	$ 7.3
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	7.4	6.0	22.3	18.0
Expected return on plan assets	(9.4)	(6.6)	(28.1)	(19.9)
Amortization of prior service cost	0.1	0.2	0.3	0.4
Amortization of actuarial gain (loss)	1.8	1.8	5.7	5.3
Loss on lump-sum settlements	12.5	0.0	12.5	1.3
Sub-total	16.8	3.8	25.7	12.4
Regulatory adjustment	(6.3)	2.9	3.4	7.4
Net pension cost (income)	10.5	6.7	29.1	19.8
Postretirement Plans
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Service cost – benefits earned during the period	3.2	2.8	9.6	8.4
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2.8	2.1	8.4	6.5
Expected return on plan assets	(3.3)	(1.7)	(9.9)	(5.1)
Amortization of prior service cost	0.2	0.0	0.6	0.0
Amortization of actuarial gain (loss)	1.3	1.5	3.8	4.5
Sub-total	4.2	4.7	12.5	14.3
Regulatory adjustment	(2.8)	(2.4)	(8.2)	(7.2)
Net pension cost (income)	1.4	2.3	4.3	7.1
Laclede Gas | Pension Plans
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Service cost – benefits earned during the period	2.9	2.4	8.6	7.3
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	5.8	6.0	17.6	18.0
Expected return on plan assets	(7.3)	(6.6)	(21.9)	(19.9)
Amortization of prior service cost	0.1	0.2	0.3	0.4
Amortization of actuarial gain (loss)	1.8	1.8	5.7	5.3
Loss on lump-sum settlements	12.5	0.0	12.5	1.3
Sub-total	15.8	3.8	22.8	12.4
Regulatory adjustment	(7.8)	2.9	(1.0)	7.4
Net pension cost (income)	8.0	6.7	21.8	19.8
Laclede Gas | Postretirement Plans
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Service cost – benefits earned during the period	3.0	2.8	9.2	8.4
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2.2	2.1	6.5	6.5
Expected return on plan assets	(2.0)	(1.7)	(6.1)	(5.1)
Amortization of prior service cost	0.2	0.0	0.6	0.0
Amortization of actuarial gain (loss)	1.3	1.5	3.8	4.5
Sub-total	4.7	4.7	14.0	14.3
Regulatory adjustment	(2.3)	(2.4)	(6.9)	(7.2)
Net pension cost (income)	2.4	2.3	7.1	7.1
Alagasco | Pension Plans
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Service cost – benefits earned during the period	1.5	1.9	4.4	5.5
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1.6	1.5	4.7	4.4
Expected return on plan assets	(2.1)	(1.9)	(6.2)	(5.6)
Amortization of prior service cost	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1
Amortization of actuarial gain (loss)	0.0	0.9	0.0	2.9
Loss on lump-sum settlements	0.0	0.0	0.0	10.9
Sub-total	1.0	2.4	2.9	18.2
Regulatory adjustment	1.5	0.3	4.4	(10.3)
Net pension cost (income)	2.5	2.7	7.3	7.9
Alagasco | Postretirement Plans
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Service cost – benefits earned during the period	0.2	0.1	0.4	0.5
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	0.6	0.7	1.9	1.9
Expected return on plan assets	(1.3)	(1.3)	(3.8)	(3.4)
Amortization of actuarial gain (loss)	0.0	(0.4)	0.0	(0.9)
Amortization of transition obligation	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3
Sub-total	(0.5)	(0.9)	(1.5)	(1.6)
Regulatory adjustment	(0.5)	0.0	(1.3)	0.0
Net pension cost (income)	$ (1.0)	$ (0.9)	$ (2.8)	$ (1.6)