Gas Natural 10-Q 11 May 15 2015 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_And_Entity_Informatio

Document And Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	8-May-15
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	Gas Natural Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	43350
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Trading Symbol	EGAS
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		10,487,511
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-15
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$2,721,167	$1,585,926
Accounts receivable
Trade, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $469,374 and $370,909, respectively	15,446,459	12,095,535
Related parties	253,057	250,101
Unbilled gas	5,684,249	7,630,852
Note receivable, current	2,086	2,070
Inventory
Natural gas	499,957	5,301,895
Materials and supplies	2,383,545	2,300,990
Prepaid income taxes	431,681	431,681
Regulatory assets, current	6,235,884	4,097,822
Deferred tax asset	608,235	635,195
Prepayments and other	1,079,758	986,941
Assets held for sale	801,711	802,436
Discontinued operations	10,631,729	11,653,934
Total current assets	46,779,518	47,775,378
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
Property, plant and equipment	190,196,318	187,566,638
Less accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization	-47,169,527	-45,555,553
PROPERTY, PLANT, & EQUIPMENT, NET	143,026,791	142,011,085
OTHER ASSETS
Notes receivable, non-current	89,752	90,345
Regulatory assets, non-current	1,922,074	2,055,404
Debt issuance costs, net of amortization	976,244	1,079,447
Goodwill	16,155,672	16,155,672
Customer relationships, net of amortization	2,851,792	2,927,500
Restricted cash	1,897,683	1,897,677
Other assets	15,652	11,404
Total other assets	23,908,869	24,217,449
TOTAL ASSETS	213,715,178	214,003,912
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Checks in excess of amounts on deposit	264,334	194,524
Line of credit	24,740,799	28,760,799
Accounts payable
Trade	13,063,718	14,115,367
Related parties	86,798	170,319
Notes payable, current	539,246	542,201
Contingent consideration, current	671,638	671,638
Derivative instruments	1,766,472	3,023,271
Accrued liabilities	4,454,348	4,860,663
Accrued liabilities - related parties	210,736	111,133
Customer deposits, current	639,347	634,090
Obligation under capital lease, current	188,224	188,224
Regulatory liability, current	317,211	925,175
Build-to-suit liability	5,946,089	5,597,287
Other current liabilities	984,950	940,643
Liabilities held for sale	85,515	61,416
Discontinued operations	717,662	544,432
Total current liabilities	54,677,087	61,341,182
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES
Deferred investment tax credits	107,927	113,193
Deferred tax liability	13,434,344	10,538,394
Asset retirement obligation	1,207,698	1,196,518
Customer advances for construction	998,003	993,681
Regulatory liability, non-current	1,129,758	1,089,850
Customer deposits	949,540	949,540
Obligation under capital lease, non-current	1,674,714	1,674,714
Contingent consideration, non-current	75,362	75,362
Total long-term liabilities	19,577,346	16,631,252
NOTES PAYABLE, less current portion	39,588,284	39,720,860
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (see Note 13)
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Preferred stock; $0.15 par value; 1,500,000 shares authorized, no shares issued or outstanding	0	0
Common stock; $0.15 par value; Authorized: 30,000,000 shares, respectively; Issued: 10,487,511 shares, respectively; Outstanding: 10,487,511 shares, respectively	1,573,127	1,573,127
Capital in excess of par value	63,951,000	63,826,341
Retained earnings	34,348,334	30,911,150
Total stockholders' equity	99,872,461	96,310,618
TOTAL CAPITALIZATION	139,460,745	136,031,478
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND CAPITALIZATION	$213,715,178	$214,003,912

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance1

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets [Parenthetical] (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$469,374	$370,909
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$0.15	$0.15
Preferred stock, shares authorized	1,500,000	1,500,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$0.15	$0.15
Common stock, shares authorized	30,000,000	30,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	10,487,511	10,487,511
Common stock, shares outstanding	10,487,511	10,487,511

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
REVENUES
Natural gas operations	$51,279,730	$56,807,363
Marketing & production	2,453,231	4,689,356
Total revenues	53,732,961	61,496,719
COST OF SALES
Natural gas purchased	33,861,353	39,846,604
Marketing & production	2,306,889	4,240,965
Total cost of sales	36,168,242	44,087,569
GROSS MARGIN	17,564,719	17,409,150
OPERATING EXPENSES
Distribution, general, and administrative	6,617,603	6,480,408
Maintenance	327,480	305,080
Depreciation and amortization	1,878,721	1,669,322
Accretion	11,180	14,228
Provision for doubtful accounts	51,742	8,279
Taxes other than income	1,003,163	921,186
Total operating expenses	9,889,889	9,398,503
OPERATING INCOME	7,674,830	8,010,647
Other income, net	277,622	94,475
Interest expense	-869,022	-809,099
Income before income taxes	7,083,430	7,296,023
Income tax expense	-2,666,673	-2,759,478
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS	4,416,757	4,536,545
Discontinued operations, net of tax	436,916	481,946
NET INCOME	4,853,673	5,018,491
Basic weighted shares outstanding (in shares)	10,487,511	10,451,678
Dilutive effect of stock options (in shares)	854	572
Diluted weighted shares outstanding (in shares)	10,488,365	10,452,250
BASIC AND DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$0.42	$0.43
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$0.04	$0.05
Net income per share (in dollars per share)	$0.46	$0.48
Weighted average dividends declared per common share (in dollars per share)	$0.14	$0.14
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME:
Net income	4,853,673	5,018,491
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS), NET OF TAX
Unrealized loss on available for sale securities, net of tax of $0 and $(1,327), respectively	0	-923
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	$4,853,673	$5,017,568

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income [Parenthetical] (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Unrealized gain (loss) on available for sale securities, tax portion	$0	($1,327)

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net income	$4,853,673	$5,018,491
Less income from discontinued operations	436,916	481,946
Income from continuing operations	4,416,757	4,536,545
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	1,878,721	1,669,322
Accretion	11,180	14,228
Amortization of debt issuance costs	123,066	103,145
Provision for doubtful accounts	51,742	8,279
Stock based compensation	124,659	308,330
Gain on sale of assets	-37,960	-18,556
Loss from unconsolidated affiliate	0	973
Change in fair value of derivative financial instruments	-122,286	0
Investment tax credit	-5,266	-5,265
Deferred income taxes	2,922,910	2,989,830
Changes in assets and liabilities
Accounts receivable, including related parties	-3,445,699	-4,394,864
Unbilled gas	1,939,842	427,452
Natural gas inventory	4,801,938	4,486,484
Accounts payable, including related parties	-348,887	4,062,275
Regulatory assets & liabilities	-3,730,189	-7,081,394
Prepayments and other	-93,438	-650,436
Other assets	-102,919	191,134
Other liabilities	-352,371	-1,080,589
Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations	8,031,800	5,566,893
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	-2,493,176	-5,686,242
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets	37,960	18,556
Proceeds from note receivable	577	2,056
Restricted cash - capital expenditures fund	0	-59
Customer advances for construction	4,639	132
Contributions in aid of construction	80,308	211,004
Net cash used in investing activities of continuing operations	-2,369,692	-5,454,553
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from lines of credit	8,600,000	7,000,000
Repayments of lines of credit	-12,620,000	-7,900,000
Repayments of notes payable	-135,531	-127,190
Repayments of build-to-suit	-567,330	0
Debt issuance costs	-19,863	0
Restricted cash - debt service fund	-6	-533
Dividends paid	-1,416,489	-1,410,978
Net cash used in financing activities of continuing operations	-6,159,219	-2,438,701
DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS
Operating cash flows	1,812,715	634,602
Investing cash flows	-180,363	-70,505
Net cash provided by discontinued operations	1,632,352	564,097
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	1,135,241	-1,762,264
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	1,585,926	12,741,197
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD	2,721,167	10,978,933
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION
Cash paid for interest	498,943	502,812
Cash refunded for income taxes, net	0	325
NONCASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Assets acquired under build-to-suit agreement	941,639	0
Capital expenditures included in accounts payable	366,229	1,095,671
Accrued dividends	0	470,326
Capital assets acquired through trade-in	0	30,068
Customer advances for construction moved to contribution in aid of construction	3,064	0
Capitalized interest	$1,053	$3,964

Summary_of_Business_and_Basis_

Summary of Business and Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]	Note 1 – Summary of Business and Basis of Presentation
	Nature of Business
	Gas Natural Inc. (the “Company”) is a natural gas company with operations in six states. The Company’s primary operations are natural gas utility companies located throughout these states. The Company’s operations also include marketing and production of natural gas, and along with its corporate level operations, these areas of operation represent the Company’s three main operating segments and are described below.
	⋅     Natural Gas Operations	Annually distributes approximately 26 Bcf of natural gas to approximately 68,000 customers. The Company’s natural gas utility subsidiaries are Public Gas Company (Kentucky), Bangor Gas (Maine), Cut Bank Gas Company (Montana), Energy West Montana (Montana), Frontier Natural Gas (North Carolina), Brainard Gas Corp. (Ohio), Northeast Ohio Natural Gas Corporation (Ohio), and Orwell Natural Gas Company (Ohio and Pennsylvania).
	⋅      Marketing & Production Operations	Annually markets approximately 1.3 Bcf of natural gas to commercial and industrial customers in Montana, Wyoming, Ohio, and Pennsylvania through the Company’s EWR and GNR subsidiaries. The EWR subsidiary also manages midstream supply and production assets for transportation customers and utilities. EWR owns an average 55% gross working interest (average 46% net revenue interest) in 160 natural gas producing wells and gas gathering assets located in Glacier and Toole Counties in Montana.
	⋅      Corporate & Other	Encompasses costs associated with business development and acquisitions, dispositions of subsidiary entities and the results of discontinued operations, dividend income, recognized gains or losses from the sale of marketable securities, and activity from Lone Wolfe which serves as an insurance agent for the Company and other businesses in the energy industry.
	Energy West was originally incorporated in Montana in 1909 and was reorganized as a holding company in 2009 to facilitate future acquisitions and corporate-level financing to support the Company’s growth strategy. On July 9, 2010, the Company changed its name to Gas Natural Inc. and reincorporated from Montana to Ohio. Moving the incorporation to Ohio enhanced the Company’s flexibility and provided a more efficient platform from which to operate and grow.
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2014, which has been derived from audited financial statements, and the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements of Gas Natural Inc. have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information, the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not contain all disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles. In the opinion of the Company, all normal recurring adjustments have been made, that are necessary to fairly present the results of operations for the interim periods. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period amounts to conform to current period presentation. Such reclassifications have no effect on net income as previously reported.
	Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2015. A majority of the Company’s revenues are derived from its natural gas utility operations, making its revenue seasonal in nature. Therefore, the largest portion of the Company’s operating revenue is generated during the colder months when its sales volumes increase considerably. Reference should be made to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.
	There have been no material changes in the Company’s significant accounting policies during the three months ended March 31, 2015 as compared to the significant accounting policies described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is to recognize revenues when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 defines a five step process to achieve this core principle and, in doing so, more judgment and estimates may be required within the revenue recognition process than are required under existing U.S. GAAP. This pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and is to be applied using one of two retrospective application methods, with early application not permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the pending adoption of ASU 2014-09 on the consolidated financial statements.

Discontinued_Operations

Discontinued Operations	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Discontinued Operations	Note 2 – Discontinued Operations
	The following table reconciles the carrying amounts of the major classes of assets and liabilities to the Company’s discontinued operations as presented on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.
		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	Current Assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	249,836	$	257,358
	Accounts receivable, net		667,046		1,002,918
	Unbilled gas		153,019		735,122
	Inventory		175,493		181,197
	Prepayments and other		55,958		71,101
	Regulatory assets, current		-		250,031
	Total current assets		1,301,352		2,497,727
	Non-Current Assets:
	Property, plant & equipment, net		9,141,278		8,966,965
	Regulatory assets, non-current		155,826		155,826
	Other assets		33,273		33,416
	Total non-current assets		9,330,377		9,156,207
	Total discontinued assets	$	10,631,729	$	11,653,934
	Current Liabilities:
	Accounts payable	$	79,217	$	29,657
	Accrued liabilities		375,098		334,664
	Regulatory Liabilities, current		93,063		-
	Other current liabilities		135,542		139,318
	Total current liabilities		682,920		503,639
	Non-Current Liabilities:
	Customer advances for construction		34,742		40,793
	Total discontinued liabilities	$	717,662	$	544,432
	The following table reconciles the carrying amounts of the major line items constituting the pretax profit of discontinued operations to the after-tax profit or loss of discontinued operations that are presented on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income.
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
	Revenues	$	3,183,029	$	3,545,461
	Cost of sales		-1,933,961		-2,108,831
	Distribution, general & administrative		-417,991		-379,968
	Maintenance		-48,423		-41,323
	Depreciation & amortization		-		-184,205
	Taxes other than income		-93,754		-80,645
	Other income (expense)		-250		6,280
	Interest expense		-762		-445
	Pretax income from discontinued operations		687,888		756,324
	Income tax expense		-250,972		-274,378
	Income from discontinued operations	$	436,916	$	481,946
	Energy West Wyoming and the Glacier & Shoshone Pipelines
	On October 10, 2014, the Company executed a stock purchase agreement for the sale of all of the stock of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Energy West Wyoming, Inc. (“EWW”), to Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power Company (“Cheyenne”). EWW has historically been included in the Company’s Natural Gas Operations segment. In conjunction with this sale, the Company’s Energy West Development, Inc. subsidiary, entered into an asset purchase agreement for the sale of the of the transmission pipeline system known as the Shoshone Pipeline and the gathering pipeline system known as the Glacier Pipeline and certain other assets directly used in the operation of the pipelines (together the “Pipeline Assets”) to Black Hills Exploration and Production, Inc. (“Black Hills”), an affiliate of Cheyenne. The Pipeline Assets have historically comprised the entirety of the Company’s Pipeline segment. As a result of EWW and the Pipeline Asset’s classification as discontinued operations, their results have been included in the Corporate & Other segment for all periods presented. The Company will receive approximately $15.8 million for the sale of EWW and approximately $1.2 million for the sale of the Pipeline Assets. These amounts are subject to adjustments including: a working capital adjustment at close if working capital is less than $950,000, a net assets adjustment if net assets excluding working capital are less than $720,000, and any amendments to the disclosure schedules to the agreement that result in losses to EWW or the Pipeline Assets. The agreements contain customary representations, warranties, covenants and indemnification provisions. The consummation of the transactions depend upon the satisfaction or waiver of a number of customary closing conditions, the receipt of regulatory approvals and the consent of certain of the Company’s lenders. In addition, Cheyenne and Black Hills have the right to terminate the agreements in the event that the amendments to the disclosure schedules to the purchase agreements are reasonably likely to result in losses to EWW and the Pipeline Assets, collectively, in excess of $750,000. The Company expects to close the transactions by the end of the third quarter of 2015.
	Upon completion of the transactions, the Company’s subsidiary, EWR, will continue to conduct some business with both EWW and Black Hills relating to the Pipeline Assets. EWW will continue to purchase natural gas from EWR under an established gas purchase agreement through the first quarter of 2017. Concurrently, EWR will continue to use EWW’s transmission system under a standing transportation agreement through the first quarter of 2017. Finally, EWR will continue to use the Pipeline Assets’ transmission systems under a standing transportation agreement through October 2017. These transactions are a continuation of transactions that were conducted prior to the sales EWW and the Pipeline Assets and have been eliminated through the consolidation process.

Held_for_Sale

Held for Sale	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Assets [Abstract]
Assets And Liabilities Held For Sale	Note 3 – Held for Sale
	On January 14, 2015, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement with Utility Pipeline, LTD to sell nearly all of the assets and liabilities of its Clarion and Walker Pennsylvania utility divisions. The Company will receive $0.9 million under the transaction. The agreement contains customary representations, warranties, covenants and indemnification provisions. The consummation of the transaction is dependent upon the satisfaction or waiver of a number of customary closing conditions, the receipt of regulatory approvals and the consent of certain of the Company’s lenders. The Company expects this transaction to be finalized in the second quarter of 2015.
	Clarion and Walker have historically been reported as a component of the Company’s Natural Gas Operations segment and collectively contributed $82,000 and $91,000 to the Company’s pre-tax income from continuing operations for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The Company does not believe that the sale of Clarion and Walker constitutes a strategic shift that will have a major effect on its operations or financial results and as such, neither of the subsidiaries have been classified as discontinued operations in the Company’s financial statements, but instead have been classified as assets and liabilities held for sale at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014.
	The following table summarizes the major classes of asset and liabilities classified as held for sale at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014.
		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	Current Assets:
	Accounts receivable, net	$	89,147	$	49,069
	Unbilled gas		28,913		22,151
	Inventory		3,622		3,622
	Prepayments and other		5,400		5,401
	Regulatory assets, current		155,956		203,241
	Total current assets		283,038		283,484
	Non-Current Assets:
	Property, plant & equipment, net		406,968		407,247
	Goodwill		111,705		111,705
	Total non-current assets		518,673		518,952
	Total assets held for sale	$	801,711	$	802,436
	Current Liabilities:
	Accounts payable	$	71,674	$	36,184
	Accrued liabilities		1,641		21,632
	Other current liabilities		12,200		3,600
	Total liabilities held for sale	$	85,515	$	61,416

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	Note 4 – Fair Value Measurements
	The Company follows a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to measurements involving unobservable inputs (Level 3). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
	Level 1 inputs - observable inputs that reflect quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.
	Level 2 inputs - other inputs that are directly or indirectly observable in the marketplace.
	Level 3 inputs - unobservable inputs which are supported by little or no market activity.
	The level in the fair value hierarchy within which a fair value measurement falls is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
	The following table presents the placement in the fair value hierarchy of the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
		March 31, 2015
		Level 1		Level 2			Level 3			Total
	LIABILITIES:
	Contingent consideration	$	-	$	-		$	747,000		$	747,000
	Commodity swap contracts	$	-	$	1,766,472		$	-		$	1,766,472
		December 31, 2014
		Level 1		Level 2			Level 3			Total
	LIABILITIES:
	Contingent consideration	$	-	$	-		$	747,000		$	747,000
	Commodity swap contracts	$	-	$	3,023,271		$	-		$	3,023,271
	The fair value of financial instruments including cash and cash equivalents, notes and accounts receivable and notes and accounts payable are not materially different from their carrying amounts. Under the fair value hierarchy, the fair value of cash and cash equivalents is classified as a Level 1 measurement and the fair value of notes payable are classified as Level 2 measurements.
	Commodity Swaps Contracts
	The commodity swap contracts, categorized in level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, are valued by comparing the futures price at the measurement date of the natural gas commodity specified in the contract to the fixed price to be paid by the Company. See Note 5 – Derivative Financial Instruments for more information regarding the commodity swap contracts.
	Contingent Consideration Liability
	The contingent consideration liability categorized in level 3 of the fair value hierarchy arose as a result of the JDOG Marketing acquisition in June 2013. The purchase agreement for the transaction provided for contingent “earn-out” payments in the form of validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable shares of the Company’s common stock for a period of five years after the closing of the transaction if the acquired business achieved a minimum annual EBITDA target of $810,432. This amount was JDOG Marketing’s EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2011. If the acquired business’s actual EBITDA for a given year is less than the target EBITDA, then no earn-out payment is due and payable for that period. If the acquired business’s actual EBITDA for a given year meets or exceeds the target EBITDA, then an earn-out payment in an amount equal to actual EBITDA divided by target EBITDA multiplied by $575,000 will have been earned for that year. Due to the earn-out structure, the maximum amount that could be earned over the five year period is unlimited.
	Valuation of the contingent consideration liability for financial statement purposes was conducted by an independent third-party valuation firm. Inputs and assumptions used in the valuation were reviewed for reasonableness by the Company in the course of the valuation process and have been updated to reflect changes in the Company’s business environment.
	The Company calculated a first year earn-out payment of $671,638 as its best estimate for financial reporting purposes and this amount is included as a component of the valuation. The Company does not believe an earn-out payment is due to JDOG Marketing as a result of payments made by the Ohio utilities to JDOG Marketing during 2013 that were disallowed by the PUCO. Mr. Osborne believes that JDOG Marketing is entitled to the earn-out. Mr. Osborne and JDOG Marketing have filed a suit against the Company for the earn-out payment for 2013. See Note 13 – Commitments and Contingencies for more information. In addition, the acquired business did not achieve the minimum annual EBITDA target in 2014 and, as a result, the Company has notified Mr. Osborne that no earn-out payment is due for 2014.
	The following table reconciles the beginning and ending balances of the contingent consideration liability categorized under level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.
	Fair Value Measurements Using Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
		Contingent
		Consideration Liability
	Opening balance December 31, 2014	$	747,000
	Transfers into level 3		-
	Transfers out of level 3		-
	Total (gains) losses for period:
	Included in net income		-
	Included in other comprehensive income		-
	Purchases		-
	Sales		-
	Settlements		-
	Issuances		-
	Closing balance March 31, 2015	$	747,000
	The following table summarizes quantitative information used in determining the fair value of the Company’s liabilities categorized in level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.
	Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measures
		Fair Value at		Valuation		Unobservable Input			Range
		March 31, 2015		Techniques
	Contingent Consideration	$	747,000	Monte Carlo analysis		Forecasted annual EBITDA			$0.5 - $0.7 million
						Weighted avg cost of capital			14.0% - 14.0%
						U.S. Treasury yields			0.2% - 0.8%
				Discounted cash flow		U.S. Treasury yields			0.2% - 0.8%
						Credit spread			2.2% - 2.8%
	The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measure of the Company’s contingent consideration liability are its weighted average cost of capital, various U.S. Treasury yields, and the Company’s credit spread above the risk free rate. Significant increases (decreases) in any of these inputs in isolation would result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value measure. An additional significant unobservable input for this fair value measure is the Company’s forecasted annual EBITDA related to its GNR subsidiary. A significant increase (decrease) in this input would result in a significant increase (decrease) in the fair value measure.

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen

Derivative Financial Instruments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure	Note 5 – Derivative Financial Instruments
	The Company has entered into commodity swap contracts in order to reduce the commodity price risk related to natural gas prices. These commodity swap contracts set a fixed price that the Company will ultimately pay for quantities of natural gas specified in the contracts. The Company has not designated any of these commodity swaps contracts as hedging instruments.
	The following table summarizes the commodity swap contracts entered into by the Company as of March 31, 2015. The Company will pay the fixed price listed for the volumes denoted in the table below. In exchange it will receive from a counterparty a variable payment based on the market price for the natural gas product listed for these volumes. These payments are settled monthly.
	Product		Type		Contract Period		Volume		Price per MMBtu
	IFERC Gas Market Report at Algonquin Citygate Natural Gas		Swap		4/1/15 - 4/30/15		2500 MMBtu/Day		$	13
	IFERC Gas Market Report at Algonquin Citygate Natural Gas		Swap		5/1/15 - 5/31/15		1390 MMBtu/Day		$	13
	IFERC Gas Market Report at Algonquin Citygate Natural Gas		Swap		6/1/15 - 6/30/15		950 MMBtu/Day		$	13
	IFERC Gas Market Report at Algonquin Citygate Natural Gas		Swap		7/1/15 - 7/31/15		890 MMBtu/Day		$	13
	AECO Canada - CGPR 7A Natural Gas		Swap		4/1/15 - 3/31/16		500 MMBtu/Day		$	2.42
	The table below summarizes the amount of unrealized gain recognized as a component of Net income from the commodity swap contracts.
			Three Months Ended March 31,
			2015			2014
	Unrealized gain on commodity swap contracts not designated as hedging instruments		$	1,256,798		$	-
	Deferred unrealized gain on commodity swap contracts (1)			-1,134,512			-
	Unrealized gain included in Other income, net		$	122,286		$	-
		-1	Unrealized gains on commodity swap agreements incurred by the Company’s regulated subsidiaries have been deferred as a reduction of the regulatory asset on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. See Note 6 - Regulatory Assets and Liabilities.
	The table below shows the line item in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets where the fair value of the commodity swap contracts is included.
	Fair Value of Derivative Instruments
			Liabilities
					March 31,			December 31,
			Balance Sheet Location		2015			2014
	Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
	Commodity swap contracts		Derivative instruments		$	1,766,472		$	3,023,271

Regulatory_Assets_and_Liabilit

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Regulatory Assets	Note 6 - Regulatory Assets and Liabilities
	The following table summarizes the components of the Company’s regulatory asset and liability balances at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014.
		March 31, 2015				December 31, 2014
		Current		Long-term		Current		Long-term
	REGULATORY ASSETS
	Recoverable cost of gas purchases	$	3,964,691	$	-	$	692,117	$	-
	Deferred costs		489,996		1,592,507		489,996		1,715,006
	Deferred loss on commodity swaps		1,737,873		-		2,872,385		-
	Income taxes		-		296,819		-		296,819
	Rate case costs		43,324		32,748		43,324		43,579
	Total regulatory assets	$	6,235,884	$	1,922,074	$	4,097,822	$	2,055,404
	REGULATORY LIABILITIES
	Over-recovered gas purchases	$	317,211	$	-	$	925,175	$	-
	Income taxes		-		83,161		-		83,161
	Asset retirement costs		-		1,046,597		-		1,006,689
	Total regulatory liabilities	$	317,211	$	1,129,758	$	925,175	$	1,089,850
	Recoverable Cost of Gas Purchases/Over-recovered Gas Purchases
	The Company accounts for purchased gas costs in accordance with procedures authorized by the utility commissions in the states in which it operates. Purchased gas costs that are different from those provided for in present rates, and approved by the respective commission, are accumulated and recovered (recoverable cost of gas purchases) or credited through future rate changes (over-recovered gas purchases). These amounts are generally recovered or credited through rates within one year. The gas cost recovery mechanisms are monitored closely by the regulatory commissions in all of the states in which the Company operates and are subject to periodic audits or other review processes.
	Deferred Costs
	On June 27, 2014, the Company’s Frontier Natural Gas subsidiary entered into a stipulation with the Public Staff of the North Carolina Utilities Commission (Docket No G-40, Sub 124), in which the subsidiary agreed, among other items, to reclassify $2.5 million from its recoverable cost of gas purchases asset account to a deferred gas cost asset account. This amount represents a portion of deferred expenses related to the subsidiary’s January and February 2014 gas purchases on which it will not earn return. The stipulation calls for amortization of this amount as operating expense over a five year period beginning July 1, 2014. Under the stipulation, the Public Staff agreed to not request a change in Frontier Natural Gas’s base margin rates, exclusive of cost of gas, for the same five-year period.
	Deferred Loss on Commodity Swaps
	The Company’s regulated subsidiaries defer recognition of unrealized losses and gains on its commodity swap derivative instruments as regulatory assets and liabilities, respectively. Deferred losses and gains are recognized as a component of Cost of sales – natural gas purchased on the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income during the period in which they are settled and recovered through rates. This regulatory asset will be recovered by the end of July 2015.
	Income Taxes
	The regulatory asset related to income taxes earns a return equal to that of the Company’s rate base and will be recovered through rates. The regulatory liability related to income taxes will be credited to our customers.
	Asset Retirement Costs
	As a result of regulatory action by the PUCO, Orwell and Brainard accrue an estimated liability for removing certain classes of utility plant long-lived assets at the end of their useful lives. The liability is equal to a set percentage of the asset’s historic cost. These liabilities are accrued over the useful lives of the assets with the corresponding expense included as a portion of depreciation expense. Upon retirement of any assets included in these asset classes, any costs incurred to retire the asset will be recorded against this regulatory liability. Any costs in excess of the liability will be expensed as incurred and any residual liability in excess of incurred costs to retire the asset will act to reduce Orwell and Brainard’s future rates. As of March 31, 2015, none of the assets included in these asset classes have been retired.
	Rate Case Costs
	Rate case costs do not earn a return and will be amortized over a period of 2 to 3 years.

Credit_Facilities_and_LongTerm

Credit Facilities and Long-Term Debt	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Credit Facilities and Long-Term Debt	Note 7 – Credit Facilities and Long-Term Debt
	Line of Credit
	The Company has a revolving credit facility with the Bank of America with a maximum borrowing capacity of $30.0 million due April 1, 2017. On November 26, 2014, the Company entered into an amendment temporarily increasing the borrowing capacity by $10.0 million to a maximum of $40.0 million. In an order approving this temporary increase in borrowing capacity, the MPSC stated that any amounts borrowed under this increase in excess of $5.0 million would first require the approval of the MPSC. Amounts borrowed under this temporary increase have a maturity date of July 1, 2015. This revolving credit facility includes an annual commitment fee ranging from 25 to 45 basis points of the unused portion of the facility and interest on the amounts outstanding at LIBOR plus 175 to 225 basis points. The Company had outstanding borrowings under this facility of $24.7 million and $28.8 million at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, interest expense related to the line of credit was $177,000 and $145,000, respectively. The weighted average interest rate for the revolving credit facility was 2.46% and 2.39%, for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
	Notes Payable
	The following table details the Company’s outstanding long-term debt balances at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014.
		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	LIBOR plus 1.75 to 2.25%, Bank of America amortizing term loan, due April 1, 2017	$	8,750,000	$	8,875,000
	6.16%, Allstate/CUNA Senior unsecured note, due June 29, 2017		13,000,000		13,000,000
	5.38%, Sun Life fixed rate note, due June 1, 2017		15,334,000		15,334,000
	4.15%, Sun Life senior secured guaranteed note, due June 1, 2017		2,989,552		2,989,552
	Vehicle and equipment financing loans		53,978		64,509
	Total notes payable		40,127,530		40,263,061
	Less: current portion		539,246		542,201
	Notes payable, long-term portion	$	39,588,284	$	39,720,860
	Debt Covenants
	Bank of America
	The Bank of America revolving credit agreement and term loan contain various covenants, which require that Energy West and its subsidiaries maintain compliance with a number of financial covenants, including a limitation on investments in another entity by acquisition of any debt or equity securities or assets or by making loans or advances to such entity. In addition, Energy West must maintain a total debt to total capital ratio of not more than .55-to-1.00 and an interest coverage ratio of no less than 2.0-to-1.0. The credit facility restricts Energy West’s ability to create, incur or assume indebtedness except (i) indebtedness under the credit facility (ii) indebtedness incurred under certain capitalized leases including the capital lease related to the Loring pipeline, and purchase money obligations not to exceed $500,000, (iii) certain indebtedness of Energy West’s subsidiaries, (iv) certain subordinated indebtedness, (v) certain hedging obligations and (vi) other indebtedness not to exceed $1.0 million.
	In addition, the Bank of America revolving credit agreement and term loan also restricts Energy West’s ability to pay dividends and make distributions, redemptions and repurchases of stock during any 60-month period to 80% of its net income over that period. In addition, no event of default may exist at the time such dividend, distribution, redemption or repurchase is made. Energy West is also prohibited from consummating a merger or consolidation or selling all or substantially all of its assets or stock except for (i) any merger consolidation or sale by or with certain of its subsidiaries, (ii) any such purchase or other acquisition by Energy West or certain of its subsidiaries and (iii) sales and dispositions of assets for at least fair market value so long as the net book value of all assets sold or otherwise disposed of in any fiscal year does not exceed 5% of the net book value of Energy West’s assets as of the last day of the preceding fiscal year.
	Allstate/CUNA
	The Allstate/CUNA senior unsecured notes contain various covenants, including a limitation on Energy West’s total dividends and distributions made in the immediately preceding 60-month period to 100% of aggregate consolidated net income for such period. The notes restrict Energy West from incurring additional senior indebtedness in excess of 65% of capitalization at any time and require Energy West to maintain an interest coverage ratio of more than 150% of the pro forma annual interest charges on a consolidated basis in two of the three preceding fiscal years.
	Sun Life
	The Sun Life covenants restrict certain cash balances and require a debt service reserve account to be maintained to cover approximately one year of interest payments. The balance in the debt service reserve account was $0.9 million and $0.9 million at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, and is included in restricted cash on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The debt service reserve account cannot be used for operating cash needs.
	The covenants also provide that any cash dividends, distributions, redemptions or repurchases of common stock may be made by the obligors to the holding company only if (i) the aggregate amount of all such dividends, distributions, redemptions and repurchases for the fiscal year do not exceed 70% of net income of the obligors for the four fiscal quarters then ending determined as of the end of each fiscal quarter, and (ii) there exists no other event of default at the time the dividend, distribution, redemption or repurchase is made. The inability of the obligors to pay a dividend to the holding company may impact the Company’s ability to pay a dividend to shareholders.
	The obligors (NEO, Orwell, Brainard, and the Company’s unregulated Ohio subsidiaries) are also prohibited from creating, assuming or incurring additional indebtedness except for (i) obligations under certain financing agreements, (ii) indebtedness incurred under certain capitalized leases and purchase money obligations not to exceed $500,000 at any one time outstanding, (iii) indebtedness outstanding as of March 31, 2011, (iv) certain unsecured intercompany indebtedness and (v) certain other indebtedness permitted under the notes.
	The covenants require, on a consolidated basis, an interest coverage ratio of at least 2.0-to-1.0, measured quarterly on a trailing four quarter basis. The notes generally define the interest coverage ratio as the ratio of EBITDA to gross interest expense. The note defines EBITDA as net income plus the sum of interest expense, any provision for federal, state, and local taxes, depreciation, and amortization determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, but excluding any extraordinary non-operating income or loss and any gain or loss from non-operating transactions. The interest coverage ratio is measured with respect to the obligors on a consolidated basis and also with respect to the Company and all of its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis. The notes also require that the Company does not permit indebtedness to exceed 60% of capitalization at any time. Like the interest coverage ratio, the ratio of debt to capitalization is measured on a consolidated basis for the Obligors and again on a consolidated basis with respect to the Company and all of its subsidiaries.
	The notes prohibit the Company from selling or otherwise transferring assets except in the ordinary course of business and to the extent such sales or transfers, in the aggregate, over each rolling twelve month period, do not exceed 1% of total assets. Generally, the Company may consummate a merger or consolidation if there is no event of default and the provisions of the notes are assumed by the surviving or continuing corporation. The Company is also generally limited in making acquisitions in excess of 10% of total assets.
	An event of default, if not cured or waived, would require the Company to immediately pay the outstanding principal balance of the notes as well as any and all interest and other payments due. An event of default would also entitle Sun Life to exercise certain rights with respect to any collateral that secures the indebtedness incurred under the notes.
	The Company believes it is in compliance with the financial covenants under its debt agreements.

Stock_Compensation

Stock Compensation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock Compensation	Note 8 – Stock Compensation
	2012 Incentive and Equity Award Plan
	The 2012 Incentive and Equity Award Plan provides for the grant of options, restricted stock, performance awards, other stock-based awards and cash awards to certain eligible employees and directors. There are 500,000 shares authorized for issuance under the plan.
	The Company recognized $0.1 million and $0.3 million in expense for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, related to the grant of 12,000 and 30,833 shares, respectively, of the Company’s common stock to the then current directors of Gas Natural under the 2012 Incentive and Equity Award Plan. The awards were not conditional on any future performance or event and as such, were fully expensed on the grant date.
	The Company recognized $5,000 in expense for the three months ended March 31, 2015 related to a grant of 5,000 restricted shares of the Company’s common stock awarded to the Company’s CEO in 2014 under the 2012 Incentive and Equity Award Plan. These shares will vest ratably on July 21, 2015, 2016, and 2017. During the vesting period, each restricted share has the same rights to dividend distributions and voting as any other common share of the Company.
	The 2012 Non-Employee Director Stock Award Plan allows each non-employee director to receive his or her fees in shares of the Company’s common stock by providing written notice to the Company. There are 250,000 shares authorized for issuance under the plan. As of March 31, 2015, no awards had been granted under the plan.

Employee_Benefit_Plans

Employee Benefit Plans	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Employee Benefit Plans	Note 9 – Employee Benefit Plans
	The Company has a 401(k) defined contribution plan which covers substantially all of its employees. The plan provides for an annual contribution of 3% of all employees’ salaries, with an additional contribution of 10% of each participant’s elective deferral, which is invested in shares of the Company’s common stock under the 401(k) plan. The expense related to the 401(k) plan for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 was $126,000 and $93,000, respectively.
	The Company has sponsored a defined postretirement health plan (the "Retiree Health Plan") providing health and life insurance benefits to eligible retirees. The Retiree Health Plan pays eligible retirees (post-65 years of age) up to $125 per month in lieu of contracting for health and life insurance benefits. The amount of this payment is fixed and will not increase with medical trends or inflation. In addition, the Retiree Health Plan allows retirees between the ages of 60 and 65 and their spouses to remain on the same medical plan as active employees by contributing 125% of the current COBRA rate to retain this coverage. The amounts paid in excess of the current COBRA rate is held in a VEBA trust account, and benefits for this plan are paid from assets held in the VEBA Trust account. The Company discontinued contributions in 2006 and is no longer required to fund the Retiree Health Plan. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the value of plan assets was $129,000 and $133,000, respectively. The assets remaining in the trust will be used to fund the plan until the assets are exhausted.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Note 10 – Income Taxes
	Income tax position differs from the amount computed by applying the federal statutory rate to pre-tax income or loss as demonstrated in the table below:
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
	Tax expense at statutory rate of 34%	$	2,578,932	$	2,737,798
	State income tax, net of Federal tax expense		391,465		272,491
	Amortization of deferred investment tax credits		-5,265		-5,265
	Adjustment to tax return filed		-		40,914
	Other		-47,487		-12,082
	Total income tax expense		2,917,645		3,033,856
	Less: income tax from discontinued operations		250,972		274,378
	Income tax expense from continuing operations	$	2,666,673	$	2,759,478
	The “Adjustment to tax return filed” line above for the three months ended March 31, 2014 includes an income tax adjustment of $40,914 related to the correction of income tax items related to 2012 recorded during the three months ended March 31, 2014.
	The Company files its income tax returns on a consolidated basis. Rate-regulated operations record cumulative increases in deferred taxes as income taxes recoverable from customers. The Company uses the deferral method to account for investment tax credits as required by regulatory commissions. Deferred income taxes are determined using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured based upon the temporary differences between the financial statement and income tax basis of assets and liabilities, using current tax rates.
	Tax positions must meet a more-likely-than-not recognition threshold to be recognized. The Company has no unrecognized tax benefits that would have a material impact to the Company’s financial statements for any open tax years. No adjustments were recognized for uncertain tax positions for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.
	The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in operating expense. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, there were no unrecognized tax benefits nor interest or penalties accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company did not recognize any interest or penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits.
	The Company, or one or more of its subsidiaries, files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state jurisdictions. The tax years after 2011 for federal and state returns remain open to examination by the major taxing jurisdictions in which the Company operates.

Related_Party_Transactions

Related Party Transactions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	Note 11 – Related Party Transactions
	Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable
	The table below details amounts due from and due to related parties, including companies owned or controlled by Richard M. Osborne, father of the Company’s chief executive officer and the Company’s former chairman and chief executive officer, at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014. These amounts are presented on the balance sheet as Related parties under Accounts receivable and Accounts payable. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company wrote-off $9,000 of related party receivables as uncollectable.
		Accounts Receivable				Accounts Payable
		March 31,		December 31,		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014		2015		2014
	Cobra Pipeline	$	178,596	$	178,596	$	-	$	67,982
	Orwell Trumbell Pipeline		105		-		86,789		102,231
	Great Plains Exploration		932		959		9		9
	Big Oats Oil Field Supply		1,548		4,752		-		-
	John D. Oil and Gas Company		6,893		6,854		-		-
	OsAir		39,387		35,329		-		97
	Lake County Title		21,085		15,491		-		-
	Other		4,511		8,121		-		-
	Total related party balances		253,057		250,102		86,798		170,319
	Less amounts included in discontinued operations		-		-		-		-
	Total related party balances included in continuing operations	$	253,057	$	250,102	$	86,798	$	170,319
	The tables below detail transactions with related parties, including companies owned or controlled by Richard M. Osborne, father of the Company’s chief executive officer and the Company’s former chairman and chief executive officer, for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.
		Three Months Ended March 31, 2015
		Natural Gas		Pipeline		Rent, Supplies,		Natural Gas Sales		Rental Income
		Purchases &		Construction		Consulting and				and Other Sales
		Transportation		Purchases		Other Purchases
	Cobra Pipeline	$	369,761	$	-	$	8,000	$	-	$	-
	Orwell Trumbell Pipeline		460,949		-		-		804		100
	Great Plains Exploration		286,270		-		-		255		-
	Big Oats Oil Field Supply		-		-		-		2,027		850
	John D. Oil and Gas Company		-		-		-		144		-
	OsAir		-		-		-		4,803		-
	Lake Shore Gas		-		-		-		-		-
	Lake County Title		-		-		-		-		7,241
	Other		-		-		-		7,192		-
	Total	$	1,116,980	$	-	$	8,000	$	15,225	$	8,191
		Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
		Natural Gas		Pipeline		Rent, Supplies,		Natural Gas Sales		Rental Income
		Purchases &		Construction		Consulting and				and Other Sales
		Transportation		Purchases		Other Purchases
	Cobra Pipeline	$	338,335	$	-	$	8,000	$	60,523	$	-
	Orwell Trumbell Pipeline		295,232		-		-		1,148		-
	Great Plains Exploration		217,653		-		-		9,503		1,500
	Big Oats Oil Field Supply		-		254,306		88,673		3,862		850
	John D. Oil and Gas Company		285,138		-		-		143		16,500
	OsAir		76,496		-		6,001		2,277		6,366
	Lake Shore Gas		111,210		-		-		-		-
	Lake County Title		-		-		-		-		20,435
	Other		29,133		-		13,685		13,063		1,200
	Total	$	1,353,197	$	254,306	$	116,359	$	90,519	$	46,851
	In addition, the Company accrued a liability of approximately $211,000 and $111,000 due to companies controlled by Richard M. Osborne, father of the Company’s chief executive officer and the Company’s former chairman and chief executive officer, for natural gas and natural gas transportation services used through March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, which had not yet been invoiced. The related expenses are included in the gas purchased line item in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.
	In addition, the Company had related party natural gas imbalances of $383,000 and $98,000 at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, which were included in the Company’s natural gas inventory balance. These amounts represent quantities of natural gas due to the Company from natural gas transportation companies controlled by Richard M. Osborne, father of the Company’s chief executive officer and the Company’s former chairman and chief executive officer.

Operating_Segments

Operating Segments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segments of Operations	Note 12 – Operating Segments
	The Company classifies its segments to provide investors with a view of the business through management’s eyes. The Company primarily separates its state regulated utility businesses from the non-regulated marketing & production businesses. Transactions between reportable segments are accounted for on the accrual basis, and eliminated prior to external financial reporting. Inter-company eliminations between segments consist primarily of gas sales from the marketing & production operations to the natural gas operations, inter-company accounts receivable and payable, equity, and subsidiary investments.
	The following tables set forth summarized financial information for the Company’s natural gas, marketing & production, and corporate & other operations.
	Three Months Ended March 31, 2015
		Natural Gas		Marketing &		Corporate &
		Operations		Production		Other		Consolidated
	OPERATING REVENUES	$	51,366,887	$	4,626,471	$	-	$	55,993,358
	Intersegment elimination		-87,157		-2,173,240		-		-2,260,397
	Total operating revenue		51,279,730		2,453,231		-		53,732,961
	COST OF SALES		33,948,510		4,480,129		-		38,428,639
	Intersegment elimination		-87,157		-2,173,240		-		-2,260,397
	Total cost of sales		33,861,353		2,306,889		-		36,168,242
	GROSS MARGIN	$	17,418,377	$	146,342	$	-	$	17,564,719
	OPERATING EXPENSES		8,813,923		232,756		878,895		9,925,574
	Intersegment elimination		-35,685		-		-		-35,685
	Total operating expenses		8,778,238		232,756		878,895		9,889,889
	OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)	$	8,640,139	$	-86,414	$	-878,895	$	7,674,830
	DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	$	-	$	-	$	436,916	$	436,916
	NET INCOME (LOSS)	$	5,113,360	$	3,641	$	-263,328	$	4,853,673
	Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
		Natural Gas		Marketing &		Corporate &
		Operations		Production		Other		Consolidated
	OPERATING REVENUES	$	56,893,907	$	7,929,773	$	-	$	64,823,680
	Intersegment elimination		-86,544		-3,240,417		-		-3,326,961
	Total operating revenue		56,807,363		4,689,356		-		61,496,719
	COST OF SALES		39,933,148		7,481,382		-		47,414,530
	Intersegment elimination		-86,544		-3,240,417		-		-3,326,961
	Total cost of sales		39,846,604		4,240,965		-		44,087,569
	GROSS MARGIN	$	16,960,759	$	448,391	$	-	$	17,409,150
	OPERATING EXPENSES		7,819,884		382,458		1,196,161		9,398,503
	Intersegment elimination		-		-		-		-
	Total operating expenses		7,819,884		382,458		1,196,161		9,398,503
	OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)	$	9,140,875	$	65,933	$	-1,196,161	$	8,010,647
	DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	$	-	$	-	$	481,946	$	481,946
	NET INCOME (LOSS)	$	5,387,303	$	20,801	$	-389,613	$	5,018,491

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Note 13 – Commitments and Contingencies
	Legal Proceedings
	From time to time, the Company is involved in lawsuits that have arisen in the ordinary course of business. The Company is contesting each of these lawsuits vigorously and believes it has defenses to the allegations that have been made.
	Richard M. Osborne Suits
	On June 13, 2014, Richard M. Osborne, father of our chief executive officer and our former chairman and chief executive officer, filed a lawsuit against us and our corporate secretary captioned, “Richard M. Osborne and Richard M. Osborne Trust, Under Restated and Amended Trust Agreement of February 24, 2012 v. Gas Natural, Inc. et al.,” Case No. 14CV001210 which was filed in the Court of Common Pleas in Lake County, Ohio. In this lawsuit, Mr. Osborne sought an order requiring us to provide him with “the minutes and any corporate resolutions for the past five years.” We had provided Mr. Osborne with all the board minutes he requested that had been approved by the board. On October 29, 2014, Mr. Osborne filed an amended complaint in this matter demanding minutes of the committees of the board of directors and additional board minutes which he claimed he was entitled to receive. On November 17, 2014, the defendants moved to dismiss Mr. Osborne’s amended complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, and for summary judgment. On February 11, 2015, the Court granted defendants’ motion, dismissing the case except for one allegation in one paragraph of Mr. Osborne’s amended complaint: that we failed to produce minutes of any board meeting that occurred between June 1, 2014 and June 13, 2014. The Court held in abeyance its ruling on this issue, to give Mr. Osborne 30 days to conduct discovery limited to determining whether any board meetings occurred during that two-week period. On February 13, 2015, Mr. Osborne voluntarily dismissed his Complaint, without prejudice. On April 28, 2015, Mr. Osborne essentially refiled this lawsuit in a different court, the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, captioned “Richard M. Osborne and Richard M. Osborne Trust, Under Restated and Amended Trust Agreement of January 13, 1995 v. Gas Natural Inc., et al.,” Case No. 15CV844836. Mr. Osborne is again seeking the board minutes at issue in the previously dismissed lawsuit. We believe the lawsuit, like its prior iteration, is wholly without merit and will vigorously contest it.
	On June 26, 2014, Mr. Osborne filed a lawsuit against us and our board of directors captioned “Richard M. Osborne, Richard M. Osborne Trust, Under Restated and Amended Trust Agreement of February 24, 2012 and John D. Oil and Gas Marketing Company, LLC v. Gas Natural, Inc. et al.,” Case No. 14CV001290, filed in the Court of Common Pleas in Lake County, Ohio. In this lawsuit, among other things, Mr. Osborne (1) demanded payment of an earn-out associated with our purchase of assets from John D. Marketing, (2) alleged that the board of directors breached its fiduciary duties, primarily by removing Mr. Osborne as chairman of the board and chief executive officer, (3) sought injunctive relief to restrain our board members from “taking any actions on behalf of Gas Natural until they are in compliance with the law and the documents governing corporate governance,” and (4) asked the Court to enjoin the 2014 annual meeting that was scheduled to take place on July 30, 2014, and to delay it until such time that the board of directors would be “in compliance with the law and corporate governance.”
	Mr. Osborne dismissed the above lawsuit on July 15, 2014, without prejudice, as the parties started to engage in settlement negotiations in an attempt to resolve the dispute. After settlement negotiations broke down, Mr. Osborne refiled the lawsuit on July 28, 2014, against us and our board members. In the re-filed lawsuit, among other things, Mr. Osborne (1) demands payment of an earn-out amount associated with our purchase of assets from John D. Marketing, (2) alleges that the board of directors breached its fiduciary duties by removing Mr. Osborne as chairman and chief executive officer, (3) seeks to enforce a July 15, 2014 term sheet, where the parties memorialized certain discussions they had in connection with their efforts to resolve the dispute arising out of the lawsuit, which included a severance payment of $1.0 million, and (4) seeks to invalidate the results of the July 30, 2014 shareholder meeting and asks the court to order us to hold a new meeting at a later date. Mr. Osborne is also seeking compensatory and punitive damages. The parties are currently conducting discovery in this lawsuit. We believe that Mr. Osborne’s claims in this lawsuit are wholly without merit and will vigorously defend this case on all grounds.
	As disclosed above, on June 26, 2014, Mr. Osborne filed a lawsuit against us in the Court of Common Pleas in Lake County, Ohio. In the lawsuit, Mr. Osborne sought injunctive relief delaying the 2014 annual meeting scheduled to take place on July 30, 2014. While that suit was pending, on July 9, 2014, Mr. Osborne mailed the first of several letters to our shareholders, criticizing our board and seeking the shareholders’ support in replacing them. On July 15, 2014, Mr. Osborne dismissed without prejudice his Lake County lawsuit, but he refiled it on July 28, 2014. He did not again seek to enjoin the annual shareholder meeting, which occurred as scheduled two days later. Instead, he requests in his complaint that the Lake County court void the election of directors at the July 30, 2014 meeting and order us to conduct another shareholder meeting for the purpose of electing directors no later than February 2015, which the Court has not done. Mr. Osborne’s refiled lawsuit remains pending. Mr. Osborne wrote two additional letters, dated August 12, 2014, and September 9, 2014, which he mailed to our shareholders in mid-September. In the letters Mr. Osborne continued to criticize our board and management.
	Mr. Osborne did not file his letters with the Securities and Exchange Commission and we believe that his letters violated Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act and related regulations that require shareholder solicitations to be filed with the SEC. On October 2, 2014, we filed a suit against Mr. Osborne captioned “Gas Natural Inc. v. Richard M. Osborne” in the United States District Court Northern District of Ohio (Case No. 1:14-cv-2181). In this case we sought to enjoin Mr. Osborne from sending additional letters to our shareholders without complying with applicable Federal securities laws. The court held a hearing on October 8, 2014, and the judge granted the injunction, requiring Mr. Osborne to file with the SEC any letters he writes to shareholders so long as his action in Lake County seeking to invalidate the July 30, 2014 meeting is pending. Mr. Osborne has appealed the ruling. We believe his appeal is wholly without merit and will vigorously contest it.
	Shareholders Suit
	Beginning on December 10, 2013, five putative shareholder derivative lawsuits were filed by five different individuals, in their capacity as our shareholders, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, purportedly on behalf of us and naming certain of our current and former executive officers and directors as individual defendants. These five shareholder lawsuits are captioned as follows: (1) Richard J. Wickham v. Richard M. Osborne, et al., (Case No. 1:13-cv-02718-LW); (2) John Durgerian v. Richard M. Osborne, et al., (Case No. 1:13-cv-02805-LW); (3) Joseph Ferrigno v. Richard M. Osborne, et al., (Case No. 1:13-cv-02822-LW); (4) Kyle Warner v. Richard M. Osborne, et al., (Case No. 1:14-cv-00007-LW) and (5) Gary F. Peters v. Richard M. Osborne, (Case No. 1:14-cv-0026-CAB). On February 6, 2014, the five lawsuits were consolidated solely for purposes of conducting limited pretrial discovery, and on February 21, 2014, the Court appointed lead counsel for all five lawsuits. No formal discovery has been conducted to date.
	The consolidated action contains claims against various of our current or former directors or officers alleging, among other things, violations of federal securities laws, breaches of fiduciary duty, waste of corporate assets and unjust enrichment arising primarily out of our acquisition of the Ohio utilities, services provided by JDOG Marketing and the acquisition of JDOG Marketing, and the sale of the our common stock by Richard M. Osborne, our former chairman and chief executive officer, and Thomas J. Smith, our former chief financial officer. The suit, in which we are named as a nominal defendant, seeks the recovery of unspecified damages allegedly sustained by us, corporate reforms, disgorgement, restitution, the recovery of plaintiffs’ attorney’s fees and other relief.
	We, along with the other defendants, filed a motion to dismiss the consolidated action in its entirety on May 8, 2014. The motion to dismiss was based on, among other things, the failure of the plaintiffs to make demand on our board of directors to address the alleged wrongdoing prior to filing their lawsuits and the failure to state viable claims against various individual defendants. Richard Osborne, individually, is now represented by counsel independent of all other defendants in the case and submitted a filing in support of the motion to dismiss on his own behalf.
	On September 24, 2014, the magistrate judge assigned to the case issued a report and recommendation in response to the motion to dismiss. The magistrate judge recommended that the plaintiffs’ claims against the individual defendants with respect to the “unjust enrichment” allegation in the complaint be dismissed. The magistrate judge recommended that all other portions of the motion to dismiss be denied. The report and recommendation, the objections filed by the defendants, and the responses from the plaintiffs will all be reviewed by the trial judge assigned to the case who will then either adopt the report and recommendation in full, reject it in full, or adopt in part and modify in part. The parties engaged in settlement mediation on February 25, 2015. The parties failed to reach a settlement, but discussions are ongoing.
	At this time we are unable to provide an estimate of any possible future losses that it may incur in connection to this suit. We carry insurance that it believes will cover any negative outcome associated with this action. This insurance carries a $250,000 deductible, which we have reached. Although we believe these insurance proceeds are available, we may incur costs and expenses related to the lawsuits that are not covered by insurance which may be substantial. Any unfavorable outcome of the pending lawsuits could adversely impact our business and results of operations.
	Harrington Employment Suit
	On February 25, 2013, one of our former officers, Jonathan Harrington, filed a lawsuit captioned “Jonathan Harrington v. Energy West, Inc. and Does 1-4,” Case No. DDV-13-159 in the Montana Eighth Judicial District Court, Cascade County. Mr. Harrington claims he was terminated in violation of a Montana statute requiring just cause for termination. In addition, he alleges claims for negligent infliction of emotional distress and negligent slander. Mr. Harrington is seeking relief for economic loss, including lost wages and fringe benefits for a period of at least four years from the date of discharge, together with interest. Mr. Harrington is an Ohio resident and was employed in our Ohio corporate offices. On March 20, 2013, we filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on the basis that Mr. Harrington was an Ohio employee, not a Montana employee, and therefore the statute does not apply. On July 1, 2014, the court conducted a hearing, made extensive findings on the record, and issued an Order finding in our favor and dismissing all of Mr. Harrington’s claims. On July 21, 2014, Mr. Harrington appealed the dismissal to the Montana Supreme Court. The appeal is fully briefed and is awaiting decision by the court. We continue to believe Mr. Harrington’s claims under Montana law are without merit, and will continue to vigorously defend this case on all grounds.
	In our opinion, the outcome of these legal actions will not have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, cash flows or results of operations of the Company, except as described above.
	Special Committee of the Board Investigation
	On March 26, 2014, the board of directors formed a special committee comprised of three independent directors to investigate the allegations contained in a letter received from one of our shareholders. The letter demands that the board take legal action to remedy alleged breaches of fiduciary duties by the board and certain of our executive officers in connection with the Order and Opinion issued by the PUCO on November 13, 2013. The special committee has the power to retain any advisors, including legal counsel and accounting, financial and regulatory advisors, that the committee determines to be appropriate to carry out its responsibilities in connection with its investigation. The special committee has prepared a report with the assistance of legal counsel and financial and regulatory advisors evaluating the allegations and the board is in the process of determining the position Gas Natural will take with respect to the letter. Although the Company believes that insurance proceeds are available for a portion of the cost of the investigation, the Company has incurred substantial costs and expenses related to the investigation that are not covered by insurance.

Subsequent_Events

Subsequent Events	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	Note 14 – Subsequent Events
	On April 6, 2015, the Company entered into a loan agreement and promissory note with NIL Funding Corporation (“NIL Funding”). Pursuant to the note and loan agreement, NIL Funding loaned Gas Natural $5.0 million, bearing an annual interest rate of 7.5%, and a maturity date of October 3, 2015. The note and loan agreement are subject to other customary loan covenants and default provisions. In an event of default, as defined under the loan agreement, NIL Funding may, at its option, require the Company to immediately pay the outstanding principal balance of the note as well as any and all interest and other payments due or convert any part of the amounts due and unpaid to shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of 95% of the previous day’s closing price on the NYSE MKT.
	The Company used proceeds from this loan, in part, to repay an intercompany payable owed to Energy West. On November 24, 2014, the MPSC issued an order directing, in part, that Energy West require Gas Natural to repay an intercompany payable to Energy West by December 24, 2014. In addition, the MPSC order restricts Energy West and its Montana, Maine, and North Carolina operating subsidiaries from paying dividends to Gas Natural until persuasive evidence can be presented that Energy West is on a sound financial footing and that effect has been given to the MPSC’s ring-fencing conditions; the strongest indication being the absence of ongoing balances owed to Energy West by Gas Natural. In its deliberations, the commission acknowledged the potential impracticability of ensuring the full repayment by December 24, 2014. From the date of the order, Energy West has made monthly compliance filings updating the staff of the MPSC of its progress to obtain funds to repay the intercompany payable. On April 9, 2015, Energy West filed a request to reinstate Energy West and its Montana, Maine, and North Carolina operating subsidiaries ability to pay dividends to Gas Natural.
	NIL Funding is an affiliate of The InterTech Group, Inc. (“InterTech”). The Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of InterTech is Anita G. Zucker. Ms. Zucker, as trustee of the Article 6 Marital Trust, under the First Amended and Restated Jerry Zucker Revocable Trust dated April 2, 2007, beneficially owns 940,000 shares, or 8.96%, of the Company’s outstanding common stock, as of February 9, 2015. A member of Gas Natural’s Board of Directors, Michael Bender, also currently serves as Director, Corporate Secretary, and Corporate Counsel of InterTech.

Summary_of_Business_and_Basis_1

Summary of Business and Basis of Presentation (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2014, which has been derived from audited financial statements, and the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements of Gas Natural Inc. have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information, the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not contain all disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles. In the opinion of the Company, all normal recurring adjustments have been made, that are necessary to fairly present the results of operations for the interim periods. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period amounts to conform to current period presentation. Such reclassifications have no effect on net income as previously reported.
	Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2015. A majority of the Company’s revenues are derived from its natural gas utility operations, making its revenue seasonal in nature. Therefore, the largest portion of the Company’s operating revenue is generated during the colder months when its sales volumes increase considerably. Reference should be made to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.
	There have been no material changes in the Company’s significant accounting policies during the three months ended March 31, 2015 as compared to the significant accounting policies described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is to recognize revenues when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 defines a five step process to achieve this core principle and, in doing so, more judgment and estimates may be required within the revenue recognition process than are required under existing U.S. GAAP. This pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and is to be applied using one of two retrospective application methods, with early application not permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the pending adoption of ASU 2014-09 on the consolidated financial statements.

Discontinued_Operations_Tables

Discontinued Operations (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Schedule of Revenue and Income from Discontinued Operations Associated with Independence	The following table reconciles the carrying amounts of the major classes of assets and liabilities to the Company’s discontinued operations as presented on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.
		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	Current Assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	249,836	$	257,358
	Accounts receivable, net		667,046		1,002,918
	Unbilled gas		153,019		735,122
	Inventory		175,493		181,197
	Prepayments and other		55,958		71,101
	Regulatory assets, current		-		250,031
	Total current assets		1,301,352		2,497,727
	Non-Current Assets:
	Property, plant & equipment, net		9,141,278		8,966,965
	Regulatory assets, non-current		155,826		155,826
	Other assets		33,273		33,416
	Total non-current assets		9,330,377		9,156,207
	Total discontinued assets	$	10,631,729	$	11,653,934
	Current Liabilities:
	Accounts payable	$	79,217	$	29,657
	Accrued liabilities		375,098		334,664
	Regulatory Liabilities, current		93,063		-
	Other current liabilities		135,542		139,318
	Total current liabilities		682,920		503,639
	Non-Current Liabilities:
	Customer advances for construction		34,742		40,793
	Total discontinued liabilities	$	717,662	$	544,432
	The following table reconciles the carrying amounts of the major line items constituting the pretax profit of discontinued operations to the after-tax profit or loss of discontinued operations that are presented on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income.
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
	Revenues	$	3,183,029	$	3,545,461
	Cost of sales		-1,933,961		-2,108,831
	Distribution, general & administrative		-417,991		-379,968
	Maintenance		-48,423		-41,323
	Depreciation & amortization		-		-184,205
	Taxes other than income		-93,754		-80,645
	Other income (expense)		-250		6,280
	Interest expense		-762		-445
	Pretax income from discontinued operations		687,888		756,324
	Income tax expense		-250,972		-274,378
	Income from discontinued operations	$	436,916	$	481,946

Held_for_Sale_Tables

Held for Sale (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Assets [Abstract]
Assets And Liabilities Available Or Held For Sale	The following table summarizes the major classes of asset and liabilities classified as held for sale at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014.
		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	Current Assets:
	Accounts receivable, net	$	89,147	$	49,069
	Unbilled gas		28,913		22,151
	Inventory		3,622		3,622
	Prepayments and other		5,400		5,401
	Regulatory assets, current		155,956		203,241
	Total current assets		283,038		283,484
	Non-Current Assets:
	Property, plant & equipment, net		406,968		407,247
	Goodwill		111,705		111,705
	Total non-current assets		518,673		518,952
	Total assets held for sale	$	801,711	$	802,436
	Current Liabilities:
	Accounts payable	$	71,674	$	36,184
	Accrued liabilities		1,641		21,632
	Other current liabilities		12,200		3,600
	Total liabilities held for sale	$	85,515	$	61,416

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Hierarchy of Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on Recurring Basis	The following table presents the placement in the fair value hierarchy of the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
		March 31, 2015
		Level 1		Level 2			Level 3			Total
	LIABILITIES:
	Contingent consideration	$	-	$	-		$	747,000		$	747,000
	Commodity swap contracts	$	-	$	1,766,472		$	-		$	1,766,472
		December 31, 2014
		Level 1		Level 2			Level 3			Total
	LIABILITIES:
	Contingent consideration	$	-	$	-		$	747,000		$	747,000
	Commodity swap contracts	$	-	$	3,023,271		$	-		$	3,023,271
Reconciliation of Beginning and Ending Balances of Contingent Consideration Liability Categorized Under Level 3 of Fair Value	The following table reconciles the beginning and ending balances of the contingent consideration liability categorized under level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.
	Fair Value Measurements Using Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
		Contingent
		Consideration Liability
	Opening balance December 31, 2014	$	747,000
	Transfers into level 3		-
	Transfers out of level 3		-
	Total (gains) losses for period:
	Included in net income		-
	Included in other comprehensive income		-
	Purchases		-
	Sales		-
	Settlements		-
	Issuances		-
	Closing balance March 31, 2015	$	747,000
Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measures	The following table summarizes quantitative information used in determining the fair value of the Company’s liabilities categorized in level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.
	Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measures
		Fair Value at		Valuation		Unobservable Input			Range
		March 31, 2015		Techniques
	Contingent Consideration	$	747,000	Monte Carlo analysis		Forecasted annual EBITDA			$0.5 - $0.7 million
						Weighted avg cost of capital			14.0% - 14.0%
						U.S. Treasury yields			0.2% - 0.8%
				Discounted cash flow		U.S. Treasury yields			0.2% - 0.8%
						Credit spread			2.2% - 2.8%

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen1

Derivative Financial Instruments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Derivative Instruments	The following table summarizes the commodity swap contracts entered into by the Company as of March 31, 2015. The Company will pay the fixed price listed for the volumes denoted in the table below. In exchange it will receive from a counterparty a variable payment based on the market price for the natural gas product listed for these volumes. These payments are settled monthly.
	Product		Type		Contract Period		Volume		Price per MMBtu
	IFERC Gas Market Report at Algonquin Citygate Natural Gas		Swap		4/1/15 - 4/30/15		2500 MMBtu/Day		$	13
	IFERC Gas Market Report at Algonquin Citygate Natural Gas		Swap		5/1/15 - 5/31/15		1390 MMBtu/Day		$	13
	IFERC Gas Market Report at Algonquin Citygate Natural Gas		Swap		6/1/15 - 6/30/15		950 MMBtu/Day		$	13
	IFERC Gas Market Report at Algonquin Citygate Natural Gas		Swap		7/1/15 - 7/31/15		890 MMBtu/Day		$	13
	AECO Canada - CGPR 7A Natural Gas		Swap		4/1/15 - 3/31/16		500 MMBtu/Day		$	2.42
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)	The table below summarizes the amount of unrealized gain recognized as a component of Net income from the commodity swap contracts.
			Three Months Ended March 31,
			2015			2014
	Unrealized gain on commodity swap contracts not designated as hedging instruments		$	1,256,798		$	-
	Deferred unrealized gain on commodity swap contracts (1)			-1,134,512			-
	Unrealized gain included in Other income, net		$	122,286		$	-
		-1	Unrealized gains on commodity swap agreements incurred by the Company’s regulated subsidiaries have been deferred as a reduction of the regulatory asset on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. See Note 6 - Regulatory Assets and Liabilities.
Schedule of Derivative Instruments in Statement of Financial Position, Fair Value	The table below shows the line item in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets where the fair value of the commodity swap contracts is included.
	Fair Value of Derivative Instruments
			Liabilities
					March 31,			December 31,
			Balance Sheet Location		2015			2014
	Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
	Commodity swap contracts		Derivative instruments		$	1,766,472		$	3,023,271

Regulatory_Assets_and_Liabilit1

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Regulatory Assets And Liabilities	The following table summarizes the components of the Company’s regulatory asset and liability balances at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014.
		March 31, 2015				December 31, 2014
		Current		Long-term		Current		Long-term
	REGULATORY ASSETS
	Recoverable cost of gas purchases	$	3,964,691	$	-	$	692,117	$	-
	Deferred costs		489,996		1,592,507		489,996		1,715,006
	Deferred loss on commodity swaps		1,737,873		-		2,872,385		-
	Income taxes		-		296,819		-		296,819
	Rate case costs		43,324		32,748		43,324		43,579
	Total regulatory assets	$	6,235,884	$	1,922,074	$	4,097,822	$	2,055,404
	REGULATORY LIABILITIES
	Over-recovered gas purchases	$	317,211	$	-	$	925,175	$	-
	Income taxes		-		83,161		-		83,161
	Asset retirement costs		-		1,046,597		-		1,006,689
	Total regulatory liabilities	$	317,211	$	1,129,758	$	925,175	$	1,089,850

Credit_Facilities_and_LongTerm1

Credit Facilities and Long-Term Debt (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of Outstanding Long-Term Debt Balances	The following table details the Company’s outstanding long-term debt balances at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014.
		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	LIBOR plus 1.75 to 2.25%, Bank of America amortizing term loan, due April 1, 2017	$	8,750,000	$	8,875,000
	6.16%, Allstate/CUNA Senior unsecured note, due June 29, 2017		13,000,000		13,000,000
	5.38%, Sun Life fixed rate note, due June 1, 2017		15,334,000		15,334,000
	4.15%, Sun Life senior secured guaranteed note, due June 1, 2017		2,989,552		2,989,552
	Vehicle and equipment financing loans		53,978		64,509
	Total notes payable		40,127,530		40,263,061
	Less: current portion		539,246		542,201
	Notes payable, long-term portion	$	39,588,284	$	39,720,860

Income_Taxes_Tables

Income Taxes (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Federal Statutory Rate to Pre-Tax Income from Continuing Operations	Income tax position differs from the amount computed by applying the federal statutory rate to pre-tax income or loss as demonstrated in the table below:
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
	Tax expense at statutory rate of 34%	$	2,578,932	$	2,737,798
	State income tax, net of Federal tax expense		391,465		272,491
	Amortization of deferred investment tax credits		-5,265		-5,265
	Adjustment to tax return filed		-		40,914
	Other		-47,487		-12,082
	Total income tax expense		2,917,645		3,033,856
	Less: income tax from discontinued operations		250,972		274,378
	Income tax expense from continuing operations	$	2,666,673	$	2,759,478

Related_Party_Transactions_Tab

Related Party Transactions (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Amounts Due from and Due to Related Parties	The table below details amounts due from and due to related parties, including companies owned or controlled by Richard M. Osborne, father of the Company’s chief executive officer and the Company’s former chairman and chief executive officer, at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014. These amounts are presented on the balance sheet as Related parties under Accounts receivable and Accounts payable. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company wrote-off $9,000 of related party receivables as uncollectable.
		Accounts Receivable				Accounts Payable
		March 31,		December 31,		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014		2015		2014
	Cobra Pipeline	$	178,596	$	178,596	$	-	$	67,982
	Orwell Trumbell Pipeline		105		-		86,789		102,231
	Great Plains Exploration		932		959		9		9
	Big Oats Oil Field Supply		1,548		4,752		-		-
	John D. Oil and Gas Company		6,893		6,854		-		-
	OsAir		39,387		35,329		-		97
	Lake County Title		21,085		15,491		-		-
	Other		4,511		8,121		-		-
	Total related party balances		253,057		250,102		86,798		170,319
	Less amounts included in discontinued operations		-		-		-		-
	Total related party balances included in continuing operations	$	253,057	$	250,102	$	86,798	$	170,319
Summary of Related Parties Transactions	The tables below detail transactions with related parties, including companies owned or controlled by Richard M. Osborne, father of the Company’s chief executive officer and the Company’s former chairman and chief executive officer, for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.
		Three Months Ended March 31, 2015
		Natural Gas		Pipeline		Rent, Supplies,		Natural Gas Sales		Rental Income
		Purchases &		Construction		Consulting and				and Other Sales
		Transportation		Purchases		Other Purchases
	Cobra Pipeline	$	369,761	$	-	$	8,000	$	-	$	-
	Orwell Trumbell Pipeline		460,949		-		-		804		100
	Great Plains Exploration		286,270		-		-		255		-
	Big Oats Oil Field Supply		-		-		-		2,027		850
	John D. Oil and Gas Company		-		-		-		144		-
	OsAir		-		-		-		4,803		-
	Lake Shore Gas		-		-		-		-		-
	Lake County Title		-		-		-		-		7,241
	Other		-		-		-		7,192		-
	Total	$	1,116,980	$	-	$	8,000	$	15,225	$	8,191
		Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
		Natural Gas		Pipeline		Rent, Supplies,		Natural Gas Sales		Rental Income
		Purchases &		Construction		Consulting and				and Other Sales
		Transportation		Purchases		Other Purchases
	Cobra Pipeline	$	338,335	$	-	$	8,000	$	60,523	$	-
	Orwell Trumbell Pipeline		295,232		-		-		1,148		-
	Great Plains Exploration		217,653		-		-		9,503		1,500
	Big Oats Oil Field Supply		-		254,306		88,673		3,862		850
	John D. Oil and Gas Company		285,138		-		-		143		16,500
	OsAir		76,496		-		6,001		2,277		6,366
	Lake Shore Gas		111,210		-		-		-		-
	Lake County Title		-		-		-		-		20,435
	Other		29,133		-		13,685		13,063		1,200
	Total	$	1,353,197	$	254,306	$	116,359	$	90,519	$	46,851

Operating_Segments_Tables

Operating Segments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Summary of Financial Information for Operating Segments	The following tables set forth summarized financial information for the Company’s natural gas, marketing & production, and corporate & other operations.
	Three Months Ended March 31, 2015
		Natural Gas		Marketing &		Corporate &
		Operations		Production		Other		Consolidated
	OPERATING REVENUES	$	51,366,887	$	4,626,471	$	-	$	55,993,358
	Intersegment elimination		-87,157		-2,173,240		-		-2,260,397
	Total operating revenue		51,279,730		2,453,231		-		53,732,961
	COST OF SALES		33,948,510		4,480,129		-		38,428,639
	Intersegment elimination		-87,157		-2,173,240		-		-2,260,397
	Total cost of sales		33,861,353		2,306,889		-		36,168,242
	GROSS MARGIN	$	17,418,377	$	146,342	$	-	$	17,564,719
	OPERATING EXPENSES		8,813,923		232,756		878,895		9,925,574
	Intersegment elimination		-35,685		-		-		-35,685
	Total operating expenses		8,778,238		232,756		878,895		9,889,889
	OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)	$	8,640,139	$	-86,414	$	-878,895	$	7,674,830
	DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	$	-	$	-	$	436,916	$	436,916
	NET INCOME (LOSS)	$	5,113,360	$	3,641	$	-263,328	$	4,853,673
	Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
		Natural Gas		Marketing &		Corporate &
		Operations		Production		Other		Consolidated
	OPERATING REVENUES	$	56,893,907	$	7,929,773	$	-	$	64,823,680
	Intersegment elimination		-86,544		-3,240,417		-		-3,326,961
	Total operating revenue		56,807,363		4,689,356		-		61,496,719
	COST OF SALES		39,933,148		7,481,382		-		47,414,530
	Intersegment elimination		-86,544		-3,240,417		-		-3,326,961
	Total cost of sales		39,846,604		4,240,965		-		44,087,569
	GROSS MARGIN	$	16,960,759	$	448,391	$	-	$	17,409,150
	OPERATING EXPENSES		7,819,884		382,458		1,196,161		9,398,503
	Intersegment elimination		-		-		-		-
	Total operating expenses		7,819,884		382,458		1,196,161		9,398,503
	OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)	$	9,140,875	$	65,933	$	-1,196,161	$	8,010,647
	DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	$	-	$	-	$	481,946	$	481,946
	NET INCOME (LOSS)	$	5,387,303	$	20,801	$	-389,613	$	5,018,491

Summary_of_Business_and_Basis_2

Summary of Business and Basis of Presentation - Additional Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Summary of Business and Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of reporting segments	3
Natural Gas Operations [Member]
Summary of Business and Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Annual distribution of natural gas	26,000,000,000
Natural gas customers	68,000
Marketing & Production Operations [Member]
Summary of Business and Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Annually market of natural gas	1,300,000,000
EWR Subsidiary [Member]
Summary of Business and Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of natural gas producing wells and gas gathering assets	160
Gross Percentage Of Working Interest	55.00%
Average Net Revenue Interest, Percentage	46.00%

Discontinued_Operations_Schedu

Discontinued Operations - Schedule of Major Classes of Assets and Liabilities (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current Assets:
Total current assets	$10,631,729	$11,653,934
Current Liabilities:
Total current liabilities	717,662	544,432
Discontinued Operations [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	249,836	257,358
Accounts receivable, net	667,046	1,002,918
Unbilled gas	153,019	735,122
Inventory	175,493	181,197
Prepayments and other	55,958	71,101
Regulatory assets, current	0	250,031
Total current assets	1,301,352	2,497,727
Non-Current Assets:
Property, plant & equipment, net	9,141,278	8,966,965
Regulatory assets, non-current	155,826	155,826
Other assets	33,273	33,416
Total non-current assets	9,330,377	9,156,207
Total discontinued assets	10,631,729	11,653,934
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	79,217	29,657
Accrued liabilities	375,098	334,664
Regulatory Liabilities, current	93,063	0
Other current liabilities	135,542	139,318
Total current liabilities	682,920	503,639
Non-Current Liabilities:
Customer advances for construction	34,742	40,793
Total discontinued liabilities	$717,662	$544,432

Discontinued_Operations_Consol

Discontinued Operations - Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Revenues	$3,183,029	$3,545,461
Cost of sales	-1,933,961	-2,108,831
Distribution, general & administrative	-417,991	-379,968
Maintenance	-48,423	-41,323
Depreciation & amortization	0	-184,205
Taxes other than income	-93,754	-80,645
Other income (expense)	-250	6,280
Interest expense	-762	-445
Pretax income from discontinued operations	687,888	756,324
Less: income tax from discontinued operations	-250,972	-274,378
Income from discontinued operations	$436,916	$481,946

Discontinued_Operations_Additi

Discontinued Operations - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Oct. 10, 2014
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Loss Limit Causes Termination Under Agreement		$750,000
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses	900,000
Energy West Wyoming, Inc [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses		15,800,000
Shoshone Pipelines [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses		$1,200,000

Held_for_Sale_Major_Classes_of

Held for Sale - Major Classes of Asset and Liabilities (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current Assets:
Total current assets	$10,631,729	$11,653,934
Assets Held-for-sale [Member]
Current Assets:
Accounts receivable, net	89,147	49,069
Unbilled gas	28,913	22,151
Inventory	3,622	3,622
Prepayments and other	5,400	5,401
Regulatory assets, current	155,956	203,241
Total current assets	283,038	283,484
Non-Current Assets:
Property, plant & equipment, net	406,968	407,247
Goodwill	111,705	111,705
Total non-current assets	518,673	518,952
Total assets held for sale	801,711	802,436
Liabilities Held For Sale [Member]
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	71,674	36,184
Accrued liabilities	1,641	21,632
Other current liabilities	12,200	3,600
Total liabilities held for sale	$85,515	$61,416

Held_for_Sale_Additional_Infor

Held for Sale - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Assets And Liabilities Held For Sale [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	$7,083,430	$7,296,023
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses	900,000
Clarion and Walker subsidiaries [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Held For Sale [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	$82,000	$91,000

Fair_Value_Measurements_Fair_V

Fair Value Measurements - Fair Value Hierarchy of Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on Recurring Basis (Detail) (Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member], USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
LIABILITIES:
Contingent consideration	$747,000	$747,000
Commodity swap contracts	1,766,472	3,023,271
Level 1 [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Contingent consideration	0	0
Commodity swap contracts	0	0
Level 2 [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Contingent consideration	0	0
Commodity swap contracts	1,766,472	3,023,271
Level 3 [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Contingent consideration	747,000	747,000
Commodity swap contracts	$0	$0

Fair_Value_Measurements_Reconc

Fair Value Measurements - Reconciliation of Beginning and Ending Balances of Contingent Consideration Liability Categorized Under Level 3 of Fair Value (Detail) (Contingent Consideration [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Contingent Consideration [Member]
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Opening balance December 31, 2015	$747,000
Transfers into level 3	0
Transfers out of level 3	0
Total (gains) losses for period: Included in net income	0
Total gains or losses for period: Included in other comprehensive income	0
Purchases	0
Sales	0
Settlements	0
Issuances	0
Closing balance March 31, 2015	$747,000

Fair_Value_Measurements_Quanti

Fair Value Measurements - Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measures (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Level 3 [Member] | Contingent Consideration [Member]
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
Fair Value	$747,000
Monte Carlo Analysis [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
Forecasted annual EBITDA	500,000
Weighted average cost of capital	14.00%
U.S. Treasury yields	0.20%
Monte Carlo Analysis [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
Forecasted annual EBITDA	$700,000
Weighted average cost of capital	14.00%
U.S. Treasury yields	0.80%
Discounted Cash Flow [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
U.S. Treasury yields	0.20%
Credit spread	2.20%
Discounted Cash Flow [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
U.S. Treasury yields	0.80%
Credit spread	2.80%

Fair_Value_Measurements_Additi

Fair Value Measurements - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Targeted EBITDA Amount For Contingent Earn Out Payments	$810,432
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Basis for Amount	575,000
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability, Current	$671,638	$671,638

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen2

Derivative Financial Instruments (Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) (Detail) (Swap [Member])	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
	MMBTuPerDay
Product [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Type of Instrument	Swap
Derivative, Inception Date	1-Apr-15
Derivative, Maturity Date	30-Apr-15
Underlying, Derivative Volume	2,500
Derivative, Swap Type, Fixed Price	13
Product One [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Type of Instrument	Swap
Derivative, Inception Date	1-May-15
Derivative, Maturity Date	31-May-15
Underlying, Derivative Volume	1,390
Derivative, Swap Type, Fixed Price	13
Product Two [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Type of Instrument	Swap
Derivative, Inception Date	1-Jun-15
Derivative, Maturity Date	30-Jun-15
Underlying, Derivative Volume	950
Derivative, Swap Type, Fixed Price	13
Product Three [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Type of Instrument	Swap
Derivative, Inception Date	1-Jul-15
Derivative, Maturity Date	31-Jul-15
Underlying, Derivative Volume	890
Derivative, Swap Type, Fixed Price	13
Product Four [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Type of Instrument	Swap
Derivative, Inception Date	1-Apr-15
Derivative, Maturity Date	31-Mar-16
Underlying, Derivative Volume	500
Derivative, Swap Type, Fixed Price	2.42

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen3

Derivative Financial Instruments (Schedule of Derivative Instruments) (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014
Unrealized gain on commodity swap contracts not designated as hedging instruments	$1,256,798		$0
Deferred unrealized gain on commodity swap contracts	-1,134,512	[1]	0	[1]
Unrealized gain included in Other income, net	$122,286		$0
[1]	Unrealized losses on commodity swap agreements incurred by the Company's regulated subsidiaries have been deferred as a regulatory asset on the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. See Note 6 - Regulatory Assets and Liabilities.

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen4

Derivative Financial Instruments (Schedule of Derivative Instruments in Statement of Financial Position, Fair Value) (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments, Type	Commodity swap contracts	Commodity swap contracts
Derivative Liability, Current	$1,766,472	$3,023,271

Regulatory_Assets_and_Liabilit2

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities - Schedule Of Regulatory Assets And Liabilities (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
REGULATORY ASSETS
Regulatory Assets, Current	$6,235,884	$4,097,822
Regulatory Assets, Noncurrent	1,922,074	2,055,404
REGULATORY LIABILITIES
Regulatory Liability, Current	317,211	925,175
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	1,129,758	1,089,850
Recoverable cost of gas purchases [Member]
REGULATORY ASSETS
Regulatory Assets, Current	3,964,691	692,117
Regulatory Assets, Noncurrent	0	0
Deferred costs [Member]
REGULATORY ASSETS
Regulatory Assets, Current	489,996	489,996
Regulatory Assets, Noncurrent	1,592,507	1,715,006
Deferred loss on commodity swaps [Member]
REGULATORY ASSETS
Regulatory Assets, Current	1,737,873	2,872,385
Regulatory Assets, Noncurrent	0	0
Income taxes [Member]
REGULATORY ASSETS
Regulatory Assets, Current	0	0
Regulatory Assets, Noncurrent	296,819	296,819
REGULATORY LIABILITIES
Regulatory Liability, Current	0	0
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	83,161	83,161
Rate case costs [Member]
REGULATORY ASSETS
Regulatory Assets, Current	43,324	43,324
Regulatory Assets, Noncurrent	32,748	43,579
Over-recovered gas purchases [Member]
REGULATORY LIABILITIES
Regulatory Liability, Current	317,211	925,175
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	0	0
Asset retirement costs [Member]
REGULATORY LIABILITIES
Regulatory Liability, Current	0	0
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	$1,046,597	$1,006,689

Regulatory_Assets_and_Liabilit3

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Jun. 27, 2014
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities [Line Items]
Amount Reclassified To Deferred Gas Cost		$2.50
Regulatory Noncurrent Asset, Amortization Period	amortized over a period of 2 to 3 years.
Property Taxes [Member]
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Noncurrent Asset, Amortization Period	over a five year period beginning July 1, 2014

Credit_Facilities_and_LongTerm2

Credit Facilities and Long-Term Debt - Lines of Credit - Additional Information (Detail) (Revolving Credit Facility [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Nov. 26, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line Of Credit Facility Maximum Borrowing Capacity Increased			$10,000,000
Line of credit maturity date	1-Apr-17
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	30,000,000		40,000,000
Bank of America [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Outstanding borrowings	24,700,000			28,800,000
Interest expense related to line of credit	$177,000	$145,000
Debt Instruments Weighted Average Interest Rate	2.46%	2.39%

Credit_Facilities_and_LongTerm3

Credit Facilities and Long-Term Debt - Summary of Outstanding Long-Term Debt Balances (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Summary of outstanding long-term debt balances
Total notes payable	$40,127,530	$40,263,061
Less: current portion	539,246	542,201
Notes payable, long-term portion	39,588,284	39,720,860
Vehicle and Equipment Financing Loans [Member]
Summary of outstanding long-term debt balances
Total notes payable	53,978	64,509
LIBOR Plus 1.75 to 2.25%, Bank of America Amortizing Term Loan, Due April 1, 2017 [Member]
Summary of outstanding long-term debt balances
Total notes payable	8,750,000	8,875,000
6.16%, Allstate/ CUNA Senior Unsecured Notes, Due June 29, 2017 [Member]
Summary of outstanding long-term debt balances
Total notes payable	13,000,000	13,000,000
5.38%, Sun Life Fixed Rate Note, Due June 1, 2017 [Member]
Summary of outstanding long-term debt balances
Total notes payable	15,334,000	15,334,000
4.15% Sun Life Senior Secured Guaranteed Note, Due June 1, 2017 [Member]
Summary of outstanding long-term debt balances
Total notes payable	$2,989,552	$2,989,552

Credit_Facilities_and_LongTerm4

Credit Facilities and Long-Term Debt - Summary of Outstanding Long-Term Debt Balances (Parenthetical) (Detail)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
LIBOR Plus 1.75 to 2.25%, Bank of America Amortizing Term Loan, Due April 1, 2017 [Member]
Long-term Debt, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Notes payable, maturity date	1-Apr-17	1-Apr-17
LIBOR Plus 1.75 to 2.25%, Bank of America Amortizing Term Loan, Due April 1, 2017 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Long-term Debt, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	2.25%	2.25%
LIBOR Plus 1.75 to 2.25%, Bank of America Amortizing Term Loan, Due April 1, 2017 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Long-term Debt, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	1.75%	1.75%
6.16%, Allstate/ CUNA Senior Unsecured Notes, Due June 29, 2017 [Member]
Long-term Debt, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Notes payable, maturity date	29-Jun-17	29-Jun-17
Changes in interest rate, percentage	6.16%	6.16%
5.38%, Sun Life Fixed Rate Note, Due June 1, 2017 [Member]
Long-term Debt, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Notes payable, maturity date	1-Jun-17	1-Jun-17
Changes in interest rate, percentage	5.38%	5.38%
4.15% Sun Life Senior Secured Guaranteed Note, Due June 1, 2017 [Member]
Long-term Debt, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Notes payable, maturity date	1-Jun-17	1-Jun-17
Changes in interest rate, percentage	4.15%	4.15%

Credit_Facilities_and_LongTerm5

Credit Facilities and Long-Term Debt - Debt Covenants - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2011
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada [Member]
Summary of outstanding long-term debt balances
Interest coverage ratio	at least 2.0-to-1.0
Debt to capitalization rate	60.00%
Debt service reserve account	$900,000	$900,000
Maximum percentage of dividend distribution redemptions of net income	70.00%
Maximum capitalized leases and purchase money obligations			500,000
Maximum limit for sale or transfer of assets	1.00%
Percentage of maximum limit of making acquisition	10.00%
Bank of America [Member]
Summary of outstanding long-term debt balances
Maximum debt to capital ratio	not more than .55-to-1.00
Interest coverage ratio	no less than 2.0-to-1.0
Maximum capital lease borrowing obligation	500,000
Maximum other borrowing obligation	$1,000,000
Period consider for distribution and redemption restriction	60 months
Percent of net income consider for distribution and redemption restriction	80.00%
Maximum percent of assets disposal restriction in fiscal year	5.00%
Allstate/CUNA [Member]
Summary of outstanding long-term debt balances
Total dividends and distributions made in the immediately preceding period	60 months
Aggregate consolidated net income	100.00%
Debt to capitalization rate	65.00%
Debt Instrument Interest Coverage Ratio	150.00%

Stock_Compensation_Additional_

Stock Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
2012 Incentive and Equity Award Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of common shares issued subject to adjustment	500,000
2012 Incentive and Equity Award Plan [Member] | Chief Executive Officer [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock or Unit Option Plan Expense	$5,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross	5,000
2012 Incentive and Equity Award Plan [Member] | Director [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock or Unit Option Plan Expense	$100,000	$300,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross	12,000	30,833
2012 Non-Employee Director Stock Award Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of common shares issued subject to adjustment	250,000

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Additio

Employee Benefit Plans - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Annual contribution of employees salaries	3.00%
Expense related to plan	$126,000	$93,000
Company makes matching contributions in form of common stock, percent	10.00%
Maximum age criteria for retirees to remain on the same medical plan to retain coverage	65 years
Defined postretirement health benefit plan	125
Minimum age criteria for retirees to remain on the same medical plan to retain coverage	60 years
Percentage rate of contribution retirees health plan	125.00%
Value of plan assets	$129,000		$133,000

Income_Taxes_Federal_Statutory

Income Taxes - Federal Statutory Rate to Pre-Tax Income from Continuing Operations (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Tax expense at statutory rate of 34%	$2,578,932	$2,737,798
State income tax, net of Federal tax expense	391,465	272,491
Amortization of deferred investment tax credits	-5,265	-5,265
Adjustment to tax return filed	0	40,914
Other	-47,487	-12,082
Total income tax expense	2,917,645	3,033,856
Less: income tax from discontinued operations	-250,972	-274,378
Income tax expense from continuing operations	$2,666,673	$2,759,478

Income_Taxes_Additional_Inform

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Income tax adjustments	$0	$40,914

Related_Party_Transactions_Amo

Related Party Transactions - Amounts Due from and Due to Related Parties (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Total	$253,057	$250,101
Accounts Payable, Total	86,798	170,319
Amounts included in discontinued operations [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Total	0	0
Accounts Payable, Total	0	0
Amounts included in continuing operations [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Total	253,057	250,102
Accounts Payable, Total	86,798	170,319
Cobra Pipeline [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Total	178,596	178,596
Accounts Payable, Total	0	67,982
Orwell Trumbell Pipeline [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Total	105	0
Accounts Payable, Total	86,789	102,231
Great Plains Exploration [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Total	932	959
Accounts Payable, Total	9	9
Big Oats Oil Field Supply [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Total	1,548	4,752
Accounts Payable, Total	0	0
John D. Oil and Gas Company [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Total	6,893	6,854
Accounts Payable, Total	0	0
OsAir [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Total	39,387	35,329
Accounts Payable, Total	0	97
Lake County Title [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Total	21,085	15,491
Accounts Payable, Total	0	0
Other [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Total	4,511	8,121
Accounts Payable, Total	0	0
Total related party balances [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Total	253,057	250,102
Accounts Payable, Total	$86,798	$170,319

Related_Party_Transactions_Sum

Related Party Transactions - Summary of Related Parties Transactions (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Natural Gas Purchases & Transportation	$33,861,353	$39,846,604
Pipeline Construction Purchases	0	254,306
Rent, Supplies, Consulting and Other Purchases	8,000	116,359
Natural Gas Sales	15,225	90,519
Rental Income and Other Sales	8,191	46,851
Cobra Pipeline [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Natural Gas Purchases & Transportation	369,761	338,335
Pipeline Construction Purchases	0	0
Rent, Supplies, Consulting and Other Purchases	8,000	8,000
Natural Gas Sales	0	60,523
Rental Income and Other Sales	0	0
Orwell Trumbell Pipeline [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Natural Gas Purchases & Transportation	460,949	295,232
Pipeline Construction Purchases	0	0
Rent, Supplies, Consulting and Other Purchases	0	0
Natural Gas Sales	804	1,148
Rental Income and Other Sales	100	0
Great Plains Exploration [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Natural Gas Purchases & Transportation	286,270	217,653
Pipeline Construction Purchases	0	0
Rent, Supplies, Consulting and Other Purchases	0	0
Natural Gas Sales	255	9,503
Rental Income and Other Sales	0	1,500
Big Oats Oil Field Supply [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Natural Gas Purchases & Transportation	0	0
Pipeline Construction Purchases	0	254,306
Rent, Supplies, Consulting and Other Purchases	0	88,673
Natural Gas Sales	2,027	3,862
Rental Income and Other Sales	850	850
John D. Oil and Gas Company [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Natural Gas Purchases & Transportation	0	285,138
Pipeline Construction Purchases	0	0
Rent, Supplies, Consulting and Other Purchases	0	0
Natural Gas Sales	144	143
Rental Income and Other Sales	0	16,500
OsAir [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Natural Gas Purchases & Transportation	0	76,496
Pipeline Construction Purchases	0	0
Rent, Supplies, Consulting and Other Purchases	0	6,001
Natural Gas Sales	4,803	2,277
Rental Income and Other Sales	0	6,366
Lake Shore Gas [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Natural Gas Purchases & Transportation	0	111,210
Pipeline Construction Purchases	0	0
Rent, Supplies, Consulting and Other Purchases	0	0
Natural Gas Sales	0	0
Rental Income and Other Sales	0	0
Lake County Title [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Natural Gas Purchases & Transportation	0	0
Pipeline Construction Purchases	0	0
Rent, Supplies, Consulting and Other Purchases	0	0
Natural Gas Sales	0	0
Rental Income and Other Sales	7,241	20,435
Other [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Natural Gas Purchases & Transportation	0	29,133
Pipeline Construction Purchases	0	0
Rent, Supplies, Consulting and Other Purchases	0	13,685
Natural Gas Sales	7,192	13,063
Rental Income and Other Sales	$0	$1,200

Related_Party_Transactions_Add

Related Party Transactions - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due to Related Parties, Current	$210,736	$111,133
Energy Related Inventory, Natural Gas in Storage	383,000	98,000
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses, Write-offs	9,000
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due to Related Parties, Current	$211,000	$111,000

Operating_Segments_Summary_of_

Operating Segments - Summary of Financial Information for Operating Segments (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	$53,732,961	$61,496,719
Total cost of sales	36,168,242	44,087,569
GROSS MARGIN	17,564,719	17,409,150
Total operating expenses	9,889,889	9,398,503
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)	7,674,830	8,010,647
DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	436,916	481,946
NET INCOME (LOSS)	4,853,673	5,018,491
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	55,993,358	64,823,680
Total cost of sales	38,428,639	47,414,530
Total operating expenses	9,925,574	9,398,503
Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	-2,260,397	-3,326,961
Total cost of sales	-2,260,397	-3,326,961
Total operating expenses	-35,685	0
Natural Gas Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	51,279,730	56,807,363
Total cost of sales	33,861,353	39,846,604
GROSS MARGIN	17,418,377	16,960,759
Total operating expenses	8,778,238	7,819,884
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)	8,640,139	9,140,875
DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	5,113,360	5,387,303
Natural Gas Operations [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	51,366,887	56,893,907
Total cost of sales	33,948,510	39,933,148
Total operating expenses	8,813,923	7,819,884
Natural Gas Operations [Member] | Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	-87,157	-86,544
Total cost of sales	-87,157	-86,544
Total operating expenses	-35,685	0
Marketing and Production [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	2,453,231	4,689,356
Total cost of sales	2,306,889	4,240,965
GROSS MARGIN	146,342	448,391
Total operating expenses	232,756	382,458
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)	-86,414	65,933
DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	3,641	20,801
Marketing and Production [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	4,626,471	7,929,773
Total cost of sales	4,480,129	7,481,382
Total operating expenses	232,756	382,458
Marketing and Production [Member] | Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	-2,173,240	-3,240,417
Total cost of sales	-2,173,240	-3,240,417
Total operating expenses	0	0
Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	0	0
Total cost of sales	0	0
GROSS MARGIN	0	0
Total operating expenses	878,895	1,196,161
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)	-878,895	-1,196,161
DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	436,916	481,946
NET INCOME (LOSS)	-263,328	-389,613
Corporate and Other [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	0	0
Total cost of sales	0	0
Total operating expenses	878,895	1,196,161
Corporate and Other [Member] | Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	0	0
Total cost of sales	0	0
Total operating expenses	$0	$0

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Jul. 15, 2014
Subsequent Event [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Severance payment		$1,000,000
Shareholders Suit [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Insurance premium paid before any losses covered	$250,000

Subsequent_Events_Additional_I

Subsequent Events - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	0 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Apr. 06, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Feb. 09, 2015
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding		10,487,511	10,487,511
Anita G. Zucker [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners				8.96%
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding				940,000
Subsequent Event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Short-term Non-bank Loans and Notes Payable	$5
Short-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Fixed Interest Rate	7.50%
Short-term Debt, Terms	3-Oct-15