RATES AND REGULATORY ACTIONS	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Abstract]
RATES AND REGULATORY ACTIONS	RATES AND REGULATORY ACTIONS: SJG is subject to the rules and regulations of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU). In May 2015, the BPU approved an $18.2 million decrease in annual revenues collected from customers through the Societal Benefits Clause ("SBC") charge and the Transportation Initiation Clause ("TIC") charge, comprised of a $6.2 million decrease in revenues from the Remediation Adjustment Clause (“RAC”) component of the SBC, an $11.5 million decrease in revenues from the Clean Energy Program (“CLEP”) component of the SBC and a $0.5 million decrease in TIC revenues, effective June 1, 2015. The decreases in the RAC and CLEP components of the SBC are primarily driven by the accumulation of prior year over-recoveries, as rate recovery exceeded program costs. The decrease in the TIC is being caused by a decrease in costs. The SBC and TIC allow SJG to recover costs associated with certain State-mandated programs. In June 2015, SJG filed its annual Energy Efficiency Tracker (“EET”) rate adjustment petition, requesting a $7.6 million decrease in revenues to continue recovering the costs of, and the allowed return on, prior investments associated with energy efficiency programs ("EEPs"). SJG's original EEPs, approved by the BPU in 2009, and its EEP extension, approved by the BPU in 2013, ended in July 2013 and June 2015, respectively. The revenue requirements associated with these prior investments decrease over time as they are amortized and recovered. Also contributing to the revenue decrease is the forecasted October 2015 over-recovery of $1.7 million, which further reduces the revenue requirement for the upcoming EET year. This petition is currently pending. In August 2015, the BPU approved a two year extension of SJG's EEPs through August 31, 2017, with a program budget of $36.3 million. SJG will recover the costs of these programs, and earn an allowed return on its investments, through the EET rate recovery mechanism that has been utilized for its EEPs since 2009. The BPU’s approval also permitted SJG to adjust its EET rate effective September 1, 2015 to increase annual revenues by $2.6 million to recover the projected costs of, and the allowed return on, the first year of its investments in the EEPs. In September 2015, the BPU approved SJG’s request, related to its Storm Hardening and Reliability Program (“SHARP”), to increase annual revenues from base rates by $4.0 million to reflect approximately $36.6 million of investments made for storm hardening efforts for the period July 2014 through June 2015. This base rate adjustment became effective on October 1, 2015. Also in September 2015, the BPU approved SJG's annual Basic Gas Supply Service (“BGSS”) and Conservation Incentive Program (“CIP”) rate adjustment petition, which requested a $39.7 million decrease in annual revenues to be implemented on October 1, 2015, comprised of a $28.4 million decrease in BGSS revenues and an $11.3 million decrease in CIP revenues. The level of BGSS revenues is based on forecasted gas costs and customer usage information for the upcoming BGSS/CIP year, which runs from October to September. SJG’s request is based on decreases in forecasted gas commodity costs for the upcoming BGSS/CIP year. The decrease in CIP revenues is caused primarily by higher than normal customer usage caused by weather that was 10.4% colder than normal during the 2014-2015 winter season. Additionally, in September 2015, the BPU approved the statewide Universal Service Fund (“USF”) budget of $46.4 million for all the State’s gas utilities. SJG’s portion of the total budget is approximately $5.2 million. Effective October 1, 2015, the BPU approved a $3.4 million decrease to SJG’s USF recoveries. The BGSS, CIP and USF revenue decreases noted above do not impact SJG's earnings. They represent decreases in the cash requirements of SJG corresponding to lower costs and/or the return of previously over-recovered costs associated with each respective mechanism. There have been no other significant regulatory actions or changes to SJG's rate structure since December 31, 2014. See Note 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of SJI's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.

RATES AND REGULATORY ACTIONS:

SJG is subject to the rules and regulations of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU).

In May 2015, the BPU approved an $18.2 million decrease in annual revenues collected from customers through the Societal Benefits Clause ("SBC") charge and the Transportation Initiation Clause ("TIC") charge, comprised of a $6.2 million decrease in revenues from the Remediation Adjustment Clause (“RAC”) component of the SBC, an $11.5 million decrease in revenues from the Clean Energy Program (“CLEP”) component of the SBC and a $0.5 million decrease in TIC revenues, effective June 1, 2015. The decreases in the RAC and CLEP components of the SBC are primarily driven by the accumulation of prior year over-recoveries, as rate recovery exceeded program costs. The decrease in the TIC is being caused by a decrease in costs. The SBC and TIC allow SJG to recover costs associated with certain State-mandated programs.

In June 2015, SJG filed its annual Energy Efficiency Tracker (“EET”) rate adjustment petition, requesting a $7.6 million decrease in revenues to continue recovering the costs of, and the allowed return on, prior investments associated with energy efficiency programs ("EEPs"). SJG's original EEPs, approved by the BPU in 2009, and its EEP extension, approved by the BPU in 2013, ended in July 2013 and June 2015, respectively. The revenue requirements associated with these prior investments decrease over time as they are amortized and recovered. Also contributing to the revenue decrease is the forecasted October 2015 over-recovery of $1.7 million, which further reduces the revenue requirement for the upcoming EET year. This petition is currently pending.

In August 2015, the BPU approved a two year extension of SJG's EEPs through August 31, 2017, with a program budget of $36.3 million. SJG will recover the costs of these programs, and earn an allowed return on its investments, through the EET rate recovery mechanism that has been utilized for its EEPs since 2009. The BPU’s approval also permitted SJG to adjust its EET rate effective September 1, 2015 to increase annual revenues by $2.6 million to recover the projected costs of, and the allowed return on, the first year of its investments in the EEPs.

In September 2015, the BPU approved SJG’s request, related to its Storm Hardening and Reliability Program (“SHARP”), to increase annual revenues from base rates by $4.0 million to reflect approximately $36.6 million of investments made for storm hardening efforts for the period July 2014 through June 2015. This base rate adjustment became effective on October 1, 2015.

Also in September 2015, the BPU approved SJG's annual Basic Gas Supply Service (“BGSS”) and Conservation Incentive Program (“CIP”) rate adjustment petition, which requested a $39.7 million decrease in annual revenues to be implemented on October 1, 2015, comprised of a $28.4 million decrease in BGSS revenues and an $11.3 million decrease in CIP revenues. The level of BGSS revenues is based on forecasted gas costs and customer usage information for the upcoming BGSS/CIP year, which runs from October to September. SJG’s request is based on decreases in forecasted gas commodity costs for the upcoming BGSS/CIP year. The decrease in CIP revenues is caused primarily by higher than normal customer usage caused by weather that was 10.4% colder than normal during the 2014-2015 winter season.

Additionally, in September 2015, the BPU approved the statewide Universal Service Fund (“USF”) budget of $46.4 million for all the State’s gas utilities. SJG’s portion of the total budget is approximately $5.2 million. Effective October 1, 2015, the BPU approved a $3.4 million decrease to SJG’s USF recoveries.

The BGSS, CIP and USF revenue decreases noted above do not impact SJG's earnings. They represent decreases in the cash requirements of SJG corresponding to lower costs and/or the return of previously over-recovered costs associated with each respective mechanism.

There have been no other significant regulatory actions or changes to SJG's rate structure since December 31, 2014. See Note 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of SJI's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.