SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS LP - Annual Report: 2015 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended September 26, 2015

Commission File Number:  1-14222

SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

240 Route 10 West

Whippany, NJ 07981

(973)  887-5300

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,

including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  x    No  o

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  o    No  x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x    No  o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  x    No  o

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Indicate by check mark whether registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934).    Yes  o    No  x

The aggregate market value as of March 28, 2015 of the registrant’s Common Units held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based on the reported closing price of such units on the New York Stock Exchange on such date ($43.00 per unit), was approximately $2,600,814,000.

SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES

INDEX TO ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements (“Forward-Looking Statements”) as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, relating to future business expectations and predictions and financial condition and results of operations of Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (the “Partnership”). Some of these statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “prospects,” “outlook,” “believes,” “estimates,” “intends,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “anticipates,” “expects” or “plans” or the negative or other variation of these or similar words, or by discussion of trends and conditions, strategies or risks and uncertainties.  These Forward-Looking Statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed or implied in such Forward-Looking Statements (statements contained in this Annual Report identifying such risks and uncertainties are referred to as “Cautionary Statements”). The risks and uncertainties and their impact on the Partnership’s results include, but are not limited to, the following risks:

Some of these Forward-Looking Statements are discussed in more detail in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this Annual Report.  On different occasions, the Partnership or its representatives have made or may make Forward-Looking Statements in other filings with the SEC, press releases or oral statements made by or with the approval of one of the Partnership’s authorized executive officers.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Statements, which reflect management’s view only as of the date made.  The Partnership undertakes no obligation to update any Forward-Looking Statement or Cautionary Statement, except as required by law.  All subsequent written and oral Forward-Looking Statements attributable to the Partnership or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the Cautionary Statements in this Annual Report and in future SEC reports.  For a more complete discussion of specific factors which could cause actual results to differ from those in the Forward-Looking Statements or Cautionary Statements, see “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report.

PART I

Development of Business

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (the “Partnership”), a publicly traded Delaware limited partnership, is a nationwide marketer and distributor of a diverse array of products meeting the energy needs of our customers.  We specialize in the distribution of propane, fuel oil and refined fuels, as well as the marketing of natural gas and electricity in deregulated markets.  In support of our core marketing and distribution operations, we install and service a variety of home comfort equipment, particularly in the areas of heating and ventilation.  We believe, based on LP/Gas Magazine dated February 2015, that we are the third largest retail marketer of propane in the United States, measured by retail gallons sold in the calendar year 2014.  As of September 26, 2015, we were serving the energy needs of approximately 1.1 million residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers through 700 locations in 41 states with operations principally concentrated in the east and west coast regions of the United States, as well as portions of the midwest region of the United States and Alaska.  We sold approximately 480.4 million gallons of propane and 41.9 million gallons of fuel oil and refined fuels to retail customers during the year ended September 26, 2015. Together with our predecessor companies, we have been continuously engaged in the retail propane business since 1928.

We conduct our business principally through Suburban Propane, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, which operates our propane business and assets (the “Operating Partnership”), and its direct and indirect subsidiaries.  Our general partner, and the general partner of our Operating Partnership, is Suburban Energy Services Group LLC (the “General Partner”), a Delaware limited liability company whose sole member is the Chief Executive Officer of the Partnership.  Since October 19, 2006, the General Partner has no economic interest in either the Partnership or the Operating Partnership (which means that the General Partner is not entitled to any cash distributions of either partnership, nor to any cash payment upon the liquidation of either partnership, nor any other economic rights in either partnership) other than as a holder of 784 Common Units of the Partnership.  Additionally, under the Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership (the “Partnership Agreement”) of the Partnership, there are no incentive distribution rights for the benefit of the General Partner.  The Partnership owns (directly and indirectly) all of the limited partner interests in the Operating Partnership.  The Common Units represent 100% of the limited partner interests in the Partnership.

On August 1, 2012 (the “Acquisition Date”), we acquired the sole membership interest in Inergy Propane, LLC, including certain wholly-owned subsidiaries of Inergy Propane LLC, and the assets of Inergy Sales and Service, Inc. (the “Inergy Propane Acquisition”).  The acquired interests and assets are collectively referred to as “Inergy Propane.”  As of the Acquisition Date, Inergy Propane consisted of the former retail propane assets and operations, as well as the assets and operations of the refined fuels business, of Inergy, L.P. (“Inergy”), a publicly traded limited partnership at the time of the acquisition.  On the Acquisition Date, Inergy Propane and its remaining wholly-owned subsidiaries which we acquired in the Inergy Propane Acquisition became subsidiaries of our Operating Partnership, but were merged into the Operating Partnership on April 30, 2013. The results of operations of Inergy Propane are included in the Partnership’s results of operations beginning on the Acquisition Date.

With the Inergy Propane Acquisition, we effectively doubled the size of our customer base and expanded our geographic reach into eleven new states, including establishing a presence in portions of the midwest region of the United States. The Inergy Propane Acquisition was consistent with key elements of our business strategy to focus on businesses that complement our existing business segments and that can extend our presence in strategically attractive markets. This acquisition has provided, and will continue to provide, us with an opportunity to apply our operational expertise and customer-oriented initiatives to a much larger enterprise in order to enhance our growth prospects and cash flow profile. The total cost of the Inergy Propane Acquisition, as measured by the fair value of the total consideration, was approximately $1.9 billion.

Direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership include Suburban Heating Oil Partners, LLC, which owns and operates the assets of our fuel oil and refined fuels business; Agway Energy Services, LLC, which owns and operates the assets of our natural gas and electricity business; and Suburban Sales and Service, Inc., which conducts a portion of our service work and appliance and parts business.  Our fuel oil and refined fuels, natural gas and electricity and services businesses are structured as either limited liability companies that are treated as corporations or corporate entities (collectively referred to as “Corporate Entities”) and, as such, are subject to corporate level income tax.

Suburban Energy Finance Corp., a direct 100%-owned subsidiary of the Partnership, was formed on November 26, 2003 to serve as co-issuer, jointly and severally with the Partnership, of the Partnership’s senior notes. Suburban Energy Finance Corp. has nominal assets and conducts no business operations.

In this Annual Report, unless otherwise indicated, the terms “Partnership,” “Suburban,” “we,” “us,” and “our” are used to refer to Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. and its consolidated subsidiaries, including the Operating Partnership. The Partnership and the Operating Partnership commenced operations in March 1996 in connection with the Partnership’s initial public offering of Common Units.

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We currently file Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K with the SEC.  You may read and receive copies of any materials that we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549.  You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.  Any information filed by us is also available on the SEC’s EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.

Upon written request or through an information request link from our website at www.suburbanpropane.com, we will provide, without charge, copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 26, 2015, each of the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, current reports filed or furnished on Form 8-K and all amendments to such reports as soon as is reasonably practicable after such reports are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC.  Requests should be directed to:  Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., Investor Relations, P.O. Box 206, Whippany, New Jersey 07981-0206.  The information contained on our website is not included as part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our Strategy

Our business strategy is to deliver increasing value to our Unitholders through initiatives, both internal and external, that are geared toward achieving sustainable profitable growth and steady or increased quarterly distributions. The following are key elements of our strategy:

Internal Focus on Driving Operating Efficiencies, Right-Sizing Our Cost Structure and Enhancing Our Customer Mix.  We focus internally on improving the efficiency of our existing operations, managing our cost structure and improving our customer mix. Through investments in our technology infrastructure, we continue to seek to improve operating efficiencies and the return on assets employed.  We have developed a streamlined operating footprint and management structure to facilitate effective resource planning and decision making.  Our internal efforts are particularly focused in the areas of route optimization, forecasting customer usage, inventory control, cash management and customer tracking. In connection with the Inergy Propane Acquisition, we have developed and effectively completed a detailed integration plan that combined the best practices of the two companies.  Our strategy will include continuing to pursue operational efficiencies while staying focused on providing exceptional service to the combined customer base.  Our systems platform is advanced and scalable and we will seek to leverage that technology for enhanced routing, forecasting and customer relationship management.

Growing Our Customer Base by Improving Customer Retention and Acquiring New Customers.  We set clear objectives to focus our employees on seeking new customers and retaining existing customers by providing highly responsive customer service.  We believe that customer satisfaction is a critical factor in the growth and success of our operations. “Our Business is Customer Satisfaction” is one of our core operating philosophies.  We measure and reward our customer service centers based on a combination of profitability of the individual customer service center and net customer growth. We have made investments in training our people both on techniques to provide exceptional customer service to our existing customer base, as well as advanced sales training focused on growing our customer base.

Selective Acquisitions of Complementary Businesses or Assets.  Externally, we seek to extend our presence or diversify our product offerings through selective acquisitions.  Our acquisition strategy is to focus on businesses with a relatively steady cash flow that will extend our presence in strategically attractive markets, complement our existing business segments or provide an opportunity to diversify our operations.  We are very patient and deliberate in evaluating acquisition candidates.  Consistent with this strategy, the Inergy Propane Acquisition, completed on August 1, 2012, was a transformative event for Suburban by expanding our geographic reach, doubling the size of our customer base and providing us with opportunities to achieve operational synergies by combining operations in overlapping territories and implementing our operating model and systems platform on a much larger business.

Selective Disposition of Non-Strategic Assets.  We continuously evaluate our existing facilities to identify opportunities to optimize our return on assets by selectively divesting operations in slower growing markets, generating proceeds that can be reinvested in markets that present greater opportunities for growth.  Our objective is to maximize the growth and profit potential of all of our assets.

Business Segments

We manage and evaluate our operations in four operating segments, three of which are reportable segments: Propane, Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels and Natural Gas and Electricity.  These business segments are described below.  See the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report for financial information about our business segments.

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Propane

Propane is a by‑product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining.  It is a clean burning energy source recognized for its transportability and ease of use relative to alternative forms of stand‑alone energy sources.  Propane use falls into three broad categories:

In the residential and commercial markets, propane is used primarily for space heating, water heating, clothes drying and cooking.  Industrial customers use propane generally as a motor fuel to power over‑the‑road vehicles, forklifts and stationary engines, to fire furnaces, as a cutting gas and in other process applications.  In the agricultural market, propane is primarily used for tobacco curing, crop drying, poultry brooding and weed control.

Propane is extracted from natural gas or oil wellhead gas at processing plants or separated from crude oil during the refining process.  It is normally transported and stored in a liquid state under moderate pressure or refrigeration for ease of handling in shipping and distribution.  When the pressure is released or the temperature is increased, propane becomes a flammable gas that is colorless and odorless, although an odorant is added to allow its detection.  Propane is clean burning and, when consumed, produces only negligible amounts of pollutants.

Product Distribution and Marketing

We distribute propane through a nationwide retail distribution network consisting of approximately 680 locations in 41 states as of September 26, 2015.  Our operations are principally concentrated in the east and west coast regions of the United States, as well as portions of the midwest region of the United States and Alaska.  As of September 26, 2015, we serviced approximately 973,000 propane customers.  Typically, our customer service centers are located in suburban and rural areas where natural gas is not readily available. Generally, these customer service centers consist of an office, appliance showroom, warehouse and service facilities, with one or more 18,000 to 30,000 gallon storage tanks on the premises.  Most of our residential customers receive their propane supply through an automatic delivery system.  These deliveries are scheduled through proprietary computer technology, based upon each customer’s historical consumption patterns and prevailing weather conditions.  Additionally, we offer our customers a budget payment plan whereby the customer’s estimated annual propane purchases and service contracts are paid for in a series of estimated equal monthly payments over a twelve-month period.  From our customer service centers, we also sell, install and service equipment to customers who purchase propane from us including heating and cooking appliances and, at some locations, propane fuel systems for motor vehicles.

We sell propane primarily to six customer markets: residential, commercial, industrial (including engine fuel), agricultural, other retail users and wholesale.  Approximately 94% of the propane gallons sold by us in fiscal 2015 were to retail customers: 47% to residential customers, 25% to commercial customers, 9% to industrial customers, 5% to agricultural customers and 14% to other retail users.  The balance of approximately 6% of the propane gallons sold by us in fiscal 2015 was for risk management activities and wholesale customers.  No single customer accounted for 10% or more of our propane revenues during fiscal 2015.

Retail deliveries of propane are usually made to customers by means of bobtail and rack trucks.  Propane is pumped from bobtail trucks, which have capacities typically ranging from 2,400 gallons to 3,500 gallons of propane, into a stationary storage tank on the customers’ premises.  The capacity of these storage tanks ranges from approximately 100 gallons to approximately 1,200 gallons, with a typical tank having a capacity of 300 to 400 gallons.  As is common in the propane industry, we own a significant portion of the storage tanks located on our customers’ premises.  We also deliver propane to retail customers in portable cylinders, which typically have a capacity of 5 to 35 gallons.  When these cylinders are delivered to customers, empty cylinders are refilled in place or transported for replenishment at our distribution locations.  We also deliver propane to certain other bulk end users in larger trucks known as transports, which have an average capacity of approximately 9,000 gallons.  End users receiving transport deliveries include industrial customers, large‑scale heating accounts, such as local gas utilities that use propane as a supplemental fuel to meet peak load delivery requirements, and large agricultural accounts that use propane for crop drying.

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Supply

Our propane supply is purchased from approximately 50 oil companies and natural gas processors at approximately 190 supply points located in the United States and Canada.  We make purchases primarily under one-year agreements that are subject to annual renewal, and also purchase propane on the spot market.  Supply contracts generally provide for pricing in accordance with posted prices at the time of delivery or the current prices established at major storage points, and some contracts include a pricing formula that typically is based on prevailing market prices.  Some of these agreements provide maximum and minimum seasonal purchase guidelines. Propane is generally transported from refineries, pipeline terminals, storage facilities (including our storage facility in Elk Grove, California) and coastal terminals to our customer service centers by a combination of common carriers, owner‑operators and railroad tank cars.  See Item 2 of this Annual Report.

Historically, supplies of propane have been readily available from our supply sources.  However, during the fiscal 2014 heating season, we were adversely affected by supply constraints resulting from industry-wide supply shortages and logistics issues involving propane transportation sourcing and costs.  Nevertheless, through relationships with our suppliers and extraordinary efforts by our supply and logistics personnel, we were able to effectively manage the challenging environment in fiscal 2014 without a material disruption in supply.  Such supply shortages and logistics issues were not repeated during fiscal 2015.  Although we make no assurance regarding the availability of supplies of propane in the future, we currently expect to be able to secure adequate supplies during fiscal 2016.  During fiscal 2015, Crestwood Midstream Partners L.P. (“Crestwood”), Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (“Enterprise”) and Targa Liquids Marketing and Trade LLC (“Targa”) provided approximately 20%, 13% and 12% of our total propane purchases, respectively.  No other single supplier accounted for more than 10% of our propane purchases in fiscal 2015.  The availability of our propane supply is dependent on several factors, including the severity of winter weather, the magnitude of competing demands for available supply (e.g., crop drying and exports), the availability of transportation and storage infrastructure and the price and availability of competing fuels, such as natural gas and fuel oil.  We believe that if supplies from Crestwood, Targa or Enterprise were interrupted, we would be able to secure adequate propane supplies from other sources without a material disruption of our operations.  Nevertheless, the cost of acquiring and transporting such propane might be higher and, at least on a short-term basis, our margins could be affected.  Approximately 91% of our total propane purchases were from domestic suppliers in fiscal 2015.

We seek to reduce the effect of propane price volatility on our product costs and to help ensure the availability of propane during periods of short supply.  We are currently a party to forward and option contracts with various third parties to purchase and sell propane at fixed prices in the future.  These activities are monitored by our senior management through enforcement of our Hedging and Risk Management Policy.  See Items 7 and 7A of this Annual Report.

We own and operate a large propane storage facility in California.  We also operate smaller storage facilities in other locations and have rights to use storage facilities in additional locations. These storage facilities enable us to buy and store large quantities of propane particularly during periods of low demand, which generally occur during the summer months.  This practice helps ensure a more secure supply of propane during periods of intense demand or price instability.  As of September 26, 2015, the majority of the storage capacity at our facility in Elk Grove, California was leased to third parties.

Competition

According to the US Census Bureau’s 2014 American Community Survey, propane ranks as the fourth most important source of residential energy in the nation, with about 5% of all households using propane as their primary space heating fuel.  This level has not changed materially over the previous two decades.  As an energy source, propane competes primarily with natural gas, electricity and fuel oil, principally on the basis of price, availability and portability.

Propane is more expensive than natural gas on an equivalent British Thermal Unit (“BTU”) basis in locations serviced by natural gas, but it is an alternative or supplement to natural gas in rural and suburban areas where natural gas is unavailable or portability of product is required.  Historically, the expansion of natural gas into traditional propane markets has been inhibited by the capital costs required to expand pipeline and retail distribution systems.  Although the recent extension of natural gas pipelines to previously unserved geographic areas tends to displace propane distribution in those areas, we believe new opportunities for propane sales may arise as new neighborhoods are developed in geographically remote areas.  However, over the last few years, fewer new housing developments have been started in our service areas as a result of recent economic circumstances.  The increasing availability of natural gas extracted from shale deposits in the United States may accelerate the extension of natural gas pipelines in the future.

Propane has some relative advantages over other energy sources.  For example, in certain geographic areas, propane is generally less expensive to use than electricity for space heating, water heating, clothes drying and cooking.  Utilization of fuel oil is geographically limited (primarily in the northeast), and even in that region, propane and fuel oil are not significant competitors because of the cost of converting from one to the other.

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In addition to competing with suppliers of other energy sources, our propane operations compete with other retail propane distributors. The retail propane industry is highly fragmented and competition generally occurs on a local basis with other large full-service multi-state propane marketers, thousands of smaller local independent marketers and farm cooperatives. Based on industry statistics contained in 2013 Sales of Natural Gas Liquids and Liquefied Refinery Gases, as published by the American Petroleum Institute in December 2014, and LP/Gas Magazine dated February 2015, the ten largest retailers, including us, account for approximately 41% of the total retail sales of propane in the United States. Each of our customer service centers operates in its own competitive environment because retail marketers tend to locate in close proximity to customers in order to lower the cost of providing service.  Our typical customer service center has an effective marketing radius of approximately 50 miles, although in certain areas the marketing radius may be extended by one or more satellite offices.  Most of our customer service centers compete with five or more marketers or distributors.

Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels

Product Distribution and Marketing

We market and distribute fuel oil, kerosene, diesel fuel and gasoline to approximately 54,000 residential and commercial customers primarily in the northeast region of the United States.  Sales of fuel oil and refined fuels for fiscal 2015 amounted to 41.9 million gallons. Approximately 66% of the fuel oil and refined fuels gallons sold by us in fiscal 2015 were to residential customers, principally for home heating, 7% were to commercial customers, and 7% to other users.  Sales of diesel and gasoline accounted for the remaining 20% of total volumes sold in this segment during fiscal 2015.  Fuel oil has a more limited use, compared to propane, and is used almost exclusively for space and water heating in residential and commercial buildings.  We sell diesel fuel and gasoline to commercial and industrial customers for use primarily to operate motor vehicles.

Approximately 41% of our fuel oil customers receive their fuel oil under an automatic delivery system.  These deliveries are scheduled through proprietary computer technology, based upon each customer’s historical consumption patterns and prevailing weather conditions.  Additionally, we offer our customers a budget payment plan whereby the customer’s estimated annual fuel oil purchases are paid for in a series of estimated equal monthly payments over a twelve-month period.  From our customer service centers, we also sell, install and service equipment to customers who purchase fuel oil from us including heating appliances.

Deliveries of fuel oil are usually made to customers by means of tankwagon trucks, which have capacities ranging from 2,500 gallons to 3,000 gallons.  Fuel oil is pumped from the tankwagon truck into a stationary storage tank that is located on the customer’s premises, which is owned by the customer.  The capacity of customer storage tanks ranges from approximately 275 gallons to approximately 1,000 gallons. No single customer accounted for 10% or more of our fuel oil revenues during fiscal 2015.

Supply

We obtain fuel oil and other refined fuels in pipeline, truckload or tankwagon quantities, and have contracts with certain pipeline and terminal operators for the right to temporarily store fuel oil at 14 terminal facilities we do not own.  We have arrangements with certain suppliers of fuel oil, which provide open access to fuel oil at specific terminals throughout the northeast.  Additionally, a portion of our purchases of fuel oil are made at local wholesale terminal racks.  In most cases, the supply contracts do not establish the price of fuel oil in advance; rather, prices are typically established based upon market prices at the time of delivery plus or minus a differential for transportation and volume discounts.  We purchase fuel oil from approximately 30 suppliers at approximately 55 supply points.  While fuel oil supply is more susceptible to longer periods of supply constraint than propane, we believe that our supply arrangements will provide us with sufficient supply sources.  Although we make no assurance regarding the availability of supplies of fuel oil in the future, we currently expect to be able to secure adequate supplies during fiscal 2016.

Competition

The fuel oil industry is a mature industry with total demand expected to remain relatively flat to moderately declining. The fuel oil industry is highly fragmented, characterized by a large number of relatively small, independently owned and operated local distributors.  We compete with other fuel oil distributors offering a broad range of services and prices, from full service distributors to those that solely offer the delivery service. We have developed a wide range of sales programs and service offerings for our fuel oil customer base in an attempt to be viewed as a full service energy provider and to build customer loyalty. For instance, like most companies in the fuel oil business, we provide home heating equipment repair service to our fuel oil customers on a 24-hour a day basis.  The fuel oil business unit also competes for retail customers with suppliers of alternative energy sources, principally natural gas, propane and electricity.

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Natural Gas and Electricity

We market natural gas and electricity through our 100%-owned subsidiary, Agway Energy Services, LLC (“AES”), in the deregulated markets of New York and Pennsylvania primarily to residential and small commercial customers. Historically, local utility companies provided their customers with all three aspects of electric and natural gas service:  generation, transmission and distribution.  However, under deregulation, public utility commissions in several states are licensing energy service companies, such as AES, to act as alternative suppliers of the commodity to end consumers.  In essence, we make arrangements for the supply of electricity or natural gas to specific delivery points.  The local utility companies continue to distribute electricity and natural gas on their distribution systems.  The business strategy of this segment is to expand its market share by concentrating on growth in the customer base and expansion into other deregulated markets that are considered strategic markets.

We serve over 75,000 natural gas and electricity customers in New York and Pennsylvania.  During fiscal 2015, we sold approximately 3.8 million dekatherms of natural gas and 439.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity through the natural gas and electricity segment. Approximately 84% of our customers were residential households and the remainder were small commercial and industrial customers.  New accounts are obtained through numerous marketing and advertising programs, including telemarketing and direct mail initiatives.  Most local utility companies have established billing service arrangements whereby customers receive a single bill from the local utility company which includes distribution charges from the local utility company, as well as product charges for the amount of natural gas or electricity provided by AES and utilized by the customer.  We have arrangements with several local utility companies that provide billing and collection services for a fee.  Under these arrangements, we are paid by the local utility company for all or a portion of customer billings after a specified number of days following the customer billing with no further recourse to AES.

Supply of natural gas is arranged through annual supply agreements with major national wholesale suppliers.  Pricing under the annual natural gas supply contracts is based on posted market prices at the time of delivery, and some contracts include a pricing formula that typically is based on prevailing market prices.  The majority of our electricity requirements are purchased through the New York Independent System Operator (“NYISO”) under an annual supply agreement, as well as purchase arrangements through other national wholesale suppliers on the open market.  Electricity pricing under the NYISO agreement is based on local market indices at the time of delivery.  Competition is primarily with local utility companies, as well as other marketers of natural gas and electricity providing similar alternatives as AES.

All Other

We sell, install and service various types of whole-house heating products, air cleaners, humidifiers and space heaters to the customers of our propane, fuel oil, natural gas and electricity businesses.  Our supply needs are filled through supply arrangements with several large regional equipment manufacturers and distribution companies.  Competition in this business segment is primarily with small, local heating and ventilation providers and contractors, as well as, to a lesser extent, other regional service providers.  The focus of our ongoing service offerings are in support of the service needs of our existing customer base within our propane, refined fuels and natural gas and electricity business segments.  Additionally, we have entered into arrangements with third-party service providers to complement and, in certain instances, supplement our existing service capabilities.

Seasonality

The retail propane and fuel oil distribution businesses, as well as the natural gas marketing business, are seasonal because the primary use of these fuels is for heating residential and commercial buildings.  Historically, approximately two‑thirds of our retail propane volume is sold during the six-month peak heating season from October through March.  The fuel oil business tends to experience greater seasonality given its more limited use for space heating, and approximately three-fourths of our fuel oil volumes are sold between October and March.  Consequently, sales and operating profits are concentrated in our first and second fiscal quarters.  Cash flows from operations, therefore, are greatest during the second and third fiscal quarters when customers pay for product purchased during the winter heating season.  We expect lower operating profits and either net losses or lower net income during the period from April through September (our third and fourth fiscal quarters).

Weather conditions have a significant impact on the demand for our products, in particular propane, fuel oil and natural gas, for both heating and agricultural purposes.  Many of our customers rely on propane, fuel oil or natural gas primarily as a heating source.  Accordingly, the volume sold is directly affected by the severity of the winter weather in our service areas, which can vary substantially from year to year.  In any given area, sustained warmer than normal temperatures will tend to result in reduced propane, fuel oil and natural gas consumption, while sustained colder than normal temperatures will tend to result in greater consumption.

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Trademarks and Tradenames

We utilize a variety of trademarks and tradenames owned by us, including “Suburban Propane.” As part of the Inergy Propane Acquisition, we acquired a number of different tradenames, such as “Yates Gas,” under which Inergy Propane conducted its business as of the Acquisition Date.  We regard our trademarks, tradenames and other proprietary rights as valuable assets and believe that they have significant value in the marketing of our products and services.

Government Regulation; Environmental, Health and Safety Matters

We are subject to various federal, state and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Generally, these laws impose limitations on the discharge of hazardous materials and pollutants and establish standards for the handling, transportation, treatment, storage and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes and can require the investigation, cleanup or monitoring of environmental contamination. These laws include the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”), the Clean Air Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, the Clean Water Act and comparable state statutes.  CERCLA, also known as the “Superfund” law, imposes joint and several liability without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct on certain classes of persons that are considered to have contributed to the release or threatened release of a “hazardous substance” into the environment.  Propane is not a hazardous substance within the meaning of CERCLA, whereas some constituents contained in fuel oil are considered hazardous substances.  We own real property at locations where such hazardous substances may be or may have been present as a result of prior activities.

We expect that we will be required to expend funds to participate in the remediation of certain sites, including sites where we have been designated as a potentially responsible party under CERCLA or comparable state statutes and at sites with aboveground and underground fuel storage tanks.  We will also incur other expenses associated with environmental compliance.  We continually monitor our operations with respect to potential environmental issues, including changes in legal requirements and remediation technologies.

Through an acquisition in fiscal 2004, and in the Inergy Propane Acquisition, we acquired certain properties with either known or probable environmental exposure, some of which are currently in varying stages of investigation, remediation or monitoring.  Additionally, certain of the active sites acquired contained environmental conditions which required further investigation, future remediation or ongoing monitoring activities.  The environmental exposures included instances of soil and/or groundwater contamination associated with the handling and storage of fuel oil, gasoline and diesel fuel.  With respect to certain of the properties acquired in the Inergy Propane Acquisition, Inergy (now known as Crestwood Midstream Partners LP) is contractually obligated to indemnify us for the costs associated with the investigation, monitoring, remediation and/or resolution of identified conditions.  As of September 26, 2015, we had accrued environmental liabilities of $0.7 million representing the total estimated future liability for remediation and monitoring of all of our properties.

Estimating the extent of our responsibility at a particular site, and the method and ultimate cost of remediation and monitoring of that site, requires making numerous assumptions.  As a result, the ultimate cost to remediate and monitor any site may differ from current estimates, and will depend, in part, on whether there is additional contamination, not currently known to us, at that site. However, we believe that our past experience provides a reasonable basis for estimating these liabilities.  As additional information becomes available, estimates are adjusted as necessary.  While we do not anticipate that any such adjustment would be material to our financial statements, the result of ongoing or future environmental studies or other factors could alter this expectation and require recording additional liabilities.  We currently cannot determine whether we will incur additional liabilities or the extent or amount of any such liabilities, or the extent to which such additional liabilities would be subject to the contractual indemnification of Inergy.

National Fire Protection Association (“NFPA”) Pamphlet Nos. 54 and 58, which establish rules and procedures governing the safe handling of propane, or comparable regulations, have been adopted, in whole, in part or with state addenda, as the industry standard for propane storage, distribution and equipment installation and operation in all of the states in which we operate.  In some states these laws are administered by state agencies, and in others they are administered on a municipal level.

NFPA Pamphlet Nos. 30, 30A, 31, 385 and 395, which establish rules and procedures governing the safe handling of distillates (fuel oil, kerosene and diesel fuel) and gasoline, or comparable regulations, have been adopted, in whole, in part or with state addenda, as the industry standard for fuel oil, kerosene, diesel fuel and gasoline storage, distribution and equipment installation and operation in all of the states in which we sell those products.  In some states these laws are administered by state agencies and in others they are administered on a municipal level.

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With respect to the transportation of propane, distillates and gasoline by truck, we are subject to regulations promulgated under the Federal Motor Carrier Improvement Safety Act.  These regulations cover the transportation of hazardous materials and are administered by the United States Department of Transportation or similar state agencies.  We conduct ongoing training programs to help ensure that our operations are in compliance with applicable safety regulations.  We maintain various permits that are necessary to operate our facilities, some of which may be material to our operations.  We believe that the procedures currently in effect at all of our facilities for the handling, storage, transportation and distribution of propane, distillates and gasoline are consistent with industry standards and are in compliance, in all material respects, with applicable laws and regulations.

The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) has published regulations under 6 CFR Part 27 Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards.  We have a number of facilities registered with the DHS. Because our facilities are currently operating under the security programs developed under guidelines issued by the Department of Transportation, Department of Labor and Environmental Protection Agency, we do not anticipate that we will incur significant costs in connection with our ongoing efforts to comply with these DHS regulations.

In December 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued an “Endangerment Finding” under the Clean Air Act, determining that emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases (“GHGs”) present an endangerment to public health and the environment because emissions of such gases may be contributing to warming of the earth’s atmosphere and other climatic changes. Based on these findings, the EPA has begun adopting and implementing regulations to restrict emissions of GHGs and require reporting by certain regulated facilities on an annual basis.  The EPA’s authority to regulate GHGs has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Both Houses of the United States Congress also have considered adopting legislation to reduce emissions of GHGs.  Although Congress has not yet enacted federal climate change legislation, numerous states and municipalities have adopted laws and policies on climate change.

The adoption of federal, state or local climate change legislation or regulatory programs to reduce emissions of GHGs could require us to incur increased capital and operating costs, with resulting impact on product price and demand. We cannot predict whether or in what form climate change legislation provisions and renewable energy standards may be enacted. In addition, a possible consequence of climate change is increased volatility in seasonal temperatures. It is difficult to predict how the market for our fuels would be affected by increased temperature volatility, although if there is an overall trend of warmer temperatures, it could adversely affect our business.

Future developments, such as stricter environmental, health or safety laws and regulations thereunder, could affect our operations. We do not anticipate that the cost of our compliance with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including CERCLA, as currently in effect and applicable to known sites will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.  To the extent we discover any environmental liabilities presently unknown to us or environmental, health or safety laws or regulations are made more stringent, however, there can be no assurance that our financial condition or results of operations will not be materially and adversely affected.

On July 21, 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) was signed into law. The Dodd-Frank Act regulates derivative transactions, which include certain instruments used by the Partnership for risk management activities.

Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) and the SEC have implemented, and continue to promulgate, rules and regulations relating to, among other things, swaps, participants in the derivatives markets, clearing of swaps and reporting of swap transactions.  In general, the Dodd-Frank Act subjects swap transactions and participants to greater regulation and supervision by the CFTC and the SEC and will require many swaps to be cleared through a registered CFTC- or SEC-clearing facility and executed on a designated exchange or swap execution facility.

We are subject to certain regulatory requirements as a result of the Dodd-Frank Act and the implementing regulations and may be indirectly affected by requirements imposed on our counterparties.  Transactional, margin, capital, recordkeeping, reporting, clearing and other requirements may increase our operational and transactional cost of entering into and maintaining derivatives contracts and may adversely affect the number and/or creditworthiness of derivatives counterparties available to us.  If we were to reduce our use of derivatives as a result of regulatory burdens or otherwise, our results of operations could become more volatile and our cash flow could be less predictable.

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Many of the states in which we do business have passed laws prohibiting “unfair or deceptive practices” in transactions between consumers and sellers of products used for residential purposes, which give the Attorney General or other officials of that state the authority to investigate alleged violations of those laws.  From time to time, we receive inquiries or requests for additional information under these laws from the offices of Attorneys General or other government officials in connection with the sale of our products to residential customers.  Based on information to date, and because, our policies and business practices are designed to comply with all applicable laws, we do not believe that the costs or liabilities associated with such inquiries or requests will result in a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations; however, there can be no assurance that our financial condition or results of operations may not be materially and adversely affected as a result of current or future government investigations or civil litigation derived therefrom.

Employees

As of September 26, 2015, we had 3,646 full time employees, of whom 702 were engaged in general and administrative activities (including fleet maintenance), 34 were engaged in transportation and product supply activities and 2,910 were customer service center employees.  As of September 26, 2015, 113 of our employees were represented by 16 different local chapters of labor unions.  We believe that our relations with both our union and non‑union employees are satisfactory.  From time to time, we hire temporary workers to meet peak seasonal demands.

Investing in our common units involves a high degree of risk. The most significant risks include those described below; however, additional risks that we currently do not know about may also impair our business operations. You should carefully consider the following risk factors, as well as the other information in this Annual Report. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. In this case, the trading price of our common units would likely decline and you might lose part or all of the value in our common units.  You should carefully consider the specific risk factors set forth below as well as the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this Annual Report.  Some factors in this section are Forward-Looking Statements.  See “Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” above.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

Since weather conditions may adversely affect demand for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas, our results of operations and financial condition are vulnerable to warm winters.

Weather conditions have a significant impact on the demand for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas for both heating and agricultural purposes.  Many of our customers rely on propane, fuel oil or natural gas primarily as a heating source.  The volume of propane, fuel oil and natural gas sold is at its highest during the six-month peak heating season of October through March and is directly affected by the severity of the winter. Typically, we sell approximately two-thirds of our retail propane volume and approximately three-fourths of our retail fuel oil volume during the peak heating season.

Actual weather conditions can vary substantially from year to year, significantly affecting our financial performance.  For example, average temperatures in our service territories were 2% warmer than normal, 3% colder than normal and 4% warmer than normal for fiscal 2015, fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013, respectively, as measured by the number of heating degree days reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”).  Furthermore, variations in weather in one or more regions in which we operate can significantly affect the total volume of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas we sell and, consequently, our results of operations.  Variations in the weather in the northeast, where we have a greater concentration of propane accounts and substantially all of our fuel oil and natural gas operations, generally have a greater impact on our operations than variations in the weather in other markets.  We can give no assurance that the weather conditions in any quarter or year will not have a material adverse effect on our operations, or that our available cash will be sufficient to pay principal and interest on our indebtedness and distributions to Unitholders.

Sudden increases in our costs to acquire and transport propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas due to, among other things, our inability to obtain adequate supplies from our usual suppliers, or our inability to obtain adequate supplies of such products from alternative suppliers, may adversely affect our operating results.

Our profitability in the retail propane, fuel oil and refined fuels and natural gas businesses is largely dependent on the difference between our costs to acquire and transport product and retail sales price.  Propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas are commodities, and the availability of those products, and the unit prices we need to pay to acquire and transport those products, are subject to volatile changes in response to changes in production and supply or other market conditions over which we have no control, including the severity of winter weather, the price and availability of competing alternative energy sources, competing demands for

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the products and infrastructure (including highway, rail, pipeline and refinery) constraints.  Our supply of these products from our usual sources may be interrupted due to these and other reasons that are beyond our control, necessitating the transportation of product, if it is available at all, by truck, rail car or other means from other suppliers in other areas, with resulting delay in receipt and delivery to customers and increased expense.  As a result, our costs of acquiring and transporting alternative supplies of these products to our facilities might be materially higher at least on a short-term basis.  Since we may not be able to pass on to our customers immediately, or in full, all increases in our wholesale and transportation costs of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas, these increases could reduce our profitability.  In addition, our inability to obtain sufficient supplies of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas in order for us to fully meet our customer demand for these products on a timely basis could adversely affect our revenues, and consequently our profitability.

In general, product supply contracts permit suppliers to charge posted prices at the time of delivery or the current prices established at major supply points, including Mont Belvieu, Texas, and Conway, Kansas.  We engage in transactions to manage the price risk associated with certain of our product costs from time to time in an attempt to reduce cost volatility and to help ensure availability of product.  We can give no assurance that future increases in our costs to acquire and transport propane, fuel oil and natural gas will not have a material adverse effect on our profitability and cash flow, or that our available cash will be sufficient to pay principal and interest on our indebtedness and distributions to our Unitholders.

High prices for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas can lead to customer conservation, resulting in reduced demand for our product.

Prices for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas are subject to fluctuations in response to changes in wholesale prices and other market conditions beyond our control.  Therefore, our average retail sales prices can vary significantly within a heating season or from year to year as wholesale prices fluctuate with propane, fuel oil and natural gas commodity market conditions.  During periods of high propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas product costs our selling prices generally increase.  High prices can lead to customer conservation, resulting in reduced demand for our product.

Because of the highly competitive nature of the retail propane and fuel oil businesses, we may not be able to retain existing customers or acquire new customers, which could have an adverse impact on our operating results and financial condition.

The retail propane and fuel oil industries are mature and highly competitive.  We expect overall demand for propane and fuel oil to be relatively flat to moderately declining over the next several years.  Year-to-year industry volumes of propane and fuel oil are expected to be primarily affected by weather patterns and from competition intensifying during warmer than normal winters, as well as from the impact of a sustained higher commodity price environment on customer conservation and the impact of continued weakness in the economy on customer buying habits.

Propane and fuel oil compete with electricity, natural gas and other existing and future sources of energy, some of which are, or may in the future be, less costly for equivalent energy value. For example, natural gas currently is a significantly less expensive source of energy than propane and fuel oil on an equivalent BTU basis. As a result, except for some industrial and commercial applications, propane and fuel oil are generally not economically competitive with natural gas in areas where natural gas pipelines already exist. The gradual expansion of the nation’s natural gas distribution systems has made natural gas available in many areas that previously depended upon propane or fuel oil. We expect this trend to continue, and, with the increasingly abundant supply of natural gas from domestic sources, perhaps accelerate.  Propane and fuel oil compete to a lesser extent with each other due to the cost of converting from one to the other.

In addition to competing with other sources of energy, our propane and fuel oil businesses compete with other distributors of those respective products principally on the basis of price, service and availability. Competition in the retail propane business is highly fragmented and generally occurs on a local basis with other large full-service multi-state propane marketers, thousands of smaller local independent marketers and farm cooperatives. Our fuel oil business competes with fuel oil distributors offering a broad range of services and prices, from full service distributors to those offering delivery only. In addition, our existing fuel oil customers, unlike our existing propane customers, generally own their own tanks, which can result in intensified competition for these customers.

As a result of the highly competitive nature of the retail propane and fuel oil businesses, our growth within these industries depends on our ability to acquire other retail distributors, open new customer service centers, add new customers and retain existing customers.  We can give no assurance that we will be able to acquire other retail distributors, add new customers and retain existing customers.

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Energy efficiency, general economic conditions and technological advances have affected and may continue to affect demand for propane and fuel oil by our retail customers.

The national trend toward increased conservation and technological advances, including installation of improved insulation and the development of more efficient furnaces and other heating devices, has adversely affected the demand for propane and fuel oil by our retail customers which, in turn, has resulted in lower sales volumes to our customers. In addition, continued weakness in the economy may lead to additional conservation by retail customers seeking to further reduce their heating costs, particularly during periods of sustained higher commodity prices. Future technological advances in heating, conservation and energy generation and continued economic weakness may adversely affect our volumes sold, which, in turn, may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Current conditions in the global capital and credit markets, and general economic pressures, may adversely affect our financial position and results of operations.

Our business and operating results are materially affected by worldwide economic conditions. Current conditions in the global capital and credit markets and general economic pressures have led to declining consumer and business confidence, increased market volatility and reduction of business activity generally. This turmoil, especially when coupled with increasing energy prices, may cause our customers to experience cash flow shortages which in turn may lead to delayed or cancelled plans to purchase our products, and affect the ability of our customers to pay for our products. In addition, disruptions in the U.S. residential mortgage market and the rate of mortgage foreclosures may adversely affect retail customer demand for our products (in particular, products used for home heating and home comfort equipment) and our business and results of operations.

Our operating results and ability to generate sufficient cash flow to pay principal and interest on our indebtedness, and to pay distributions to Unitholders, may be affected by our ability to continue to control expenses.

The propane and fuel oil industries are mature and highly fragmented with competition from other multi-state marketers and thousands of smaller local independent marketers. Demand for propane and fuel oil is expected to be affected by many factors beyond our control, including, but not limited to, the severity of weather conditions during the peak heating season, customer conservation driven by high energy costs and other economic factors, as well as technological advances impacting energy efficiency. Accordingly, our propane and fuel oil sales volumes and related gross margins may be negatively affected by these factors beyond our control. Our operating profits and ability to generate sufficient cash flow may depend on our ability to continue to control expenses in line with sales volumes. We can give no assurance that we will be able to continue to control expenses to the extent necessary to reduce the effect on our profitability and cash flow from these factors.

The risk of terrorism, political unrest and the current hostilities in the Middle East or other energy producing regions may adversely affect the economy and the price and availability of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas.

Terrorist attacks, political unrest and the current hostilities in the Middle East or other energy producing regions may adversely impact the price and availability of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas, as well as our results of operations, our ability to raise capital and our future growth. The impact that the foregoing may have on our industry in general, and on us in particular, is not known at this time. An act of terror could result in disruptions of crude oil or natural gas supplies and markets (the sources of propane and fuel oil), and our infrastructure facilities could be direct or indirect targets. Terrorist activity may also hinder our ability to transport propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels if our means of supply transportation, such as rail or pipeline, become damaged as a result of an attack. A lower level of economic activity could result in a decline in energy consumption, which could adversely affect our revenues or restrict our future growth. Instability in the financial markets as a result of terrorism could also affect our ability to raise capital.  Terrorist activity, political unrest and hostilities in the Middle East or other energy producing regions could likely lead to increased volatility in prices for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas. We have opted to purchase insurance coverage for terrorist acts within our property and casualty insurance programs, but we can give no assurance that our insurance coverage will be adequate to fully compensate us for any losses to our business or property resulting from terrorist acts.

Our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by governmental regulation and associated environmental and health and safety costs.

Our business is subject to a wide and ever increasing range of federal, state and local laws and regulations related to environmental and health and safety matters including those concerning, among other things, the investigation and remediation of contaminated soil, groundwater and other environmental media, and the transportation of hazardous materials. These requirements are complex, changing and tend to become more stringent over time. In addition, we are required to maintain various permits that are necessary to operate our facilities, some of which are material to our operations. There can be no assurance that we have been, or will be, at all times in complete compliance with all legal, regulatory and permitting requirements or that we will not incur significant costs in the future relating to such requirements. Violations could result in penalties, or the curtailment or cessation of operations.

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Moreover, currently unknown environmental issues, such as the discovery of additional contamination, may result in significant additional expenditures, and potentially significant expenditures also could be required to comply with future changes to environmental laws and regulations or the interpretation or enforcement thereof. Such expenditures, if required, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We are subject to operating hazards and litigation risks that could adversely affect our operating results to the extent not covered by insurance.

Our operations are subject to all operating hazards and risks normally associated with handling, storing and delivering combustible liquids such as propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels. We have been, and are likely to continue to be, a defendant in various legal proceedings and litigation arising in the ordinary course of business, both as a result of these operating hazards and risks and as a result of other aspects of our business. We are self-insured for general and product, workers’ compensation and automobile liabilities up to predetermined amounts above which third-party insurance applies. We cannot guarantee that our insurance will be adequate to protect us from all material expenses related to potential future claims for personal injury and property damage or that these levels of insurance will be available at economical prices, or that all legal matters that arise will be covered by our insurance programs.

If we are unable to make acquisitions on economically acceptable terms or effectively integrate such acquisitions into our operations, our financial performance may be adversely affected.

The retail propane and fuel oil industries are mature.  We expect overall demand for propane and fuel oil to be relatively flat to moderately declining over the next several years.  With respect to our retail propane business, it may be difficult for us to increase our aggregate number of retail propane customers except through acquisitions. As a result, we expect the success of our financial performance to depend, in part, upon our ability to acquire other retail propane and fuel oil distributors or other energy-related businesses and to successfully integrate them into our existing operations and to make cost saving changes. The competition for acquisitions is intense and we can make no assurance that we will be able to acquire other propane and fuel oil distributors or other energy-related businesses on economically acceptable terms or, if we do, to integrate the acquired operations effectively.

The adoption of climate change legislation could result in increased operating costs and reduced demand for the products and services we provide.

In December 2009, the EPA issued an “Endangerment Finding” under the Clean Air Act, determining that emissions of GHGs present an endangerment to public health and the environment because emissions of such gases may be contributing to warming of the earth’s atmosphere and other climatic changes. Based on these findings, the EPA has begun adopting and implementing regulations to restrict emissions of GHGs and require reporting by certain regulated facilities on an annual basis.  The EPA’s authority to regulate GHGs has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Both Houses of the United States Congress also have considered adopting legislation to reduce emissions of GHGs.  Although Congress has not yet enacted federal climate change legislation, numerous states and municipalities have adopted laws and policies on climate change.

The adoption of federal, state or local climate change legislation or regulatory programs to reduce emissions of GHGs could require us to incur increased capital and operating costs, with resulting impact on product price and demand. We cannot predict whether or in what form climate change legislation provisions and renewable energy standards may be enacted. In addition, a possible consequence of climate change is increased volatility in seasonal temperatures. It is difficult to predict how the market for our fuels would be affected by increased temperature volatility, although if there is an overall trend of warmer temperatures, it could adversely affect our business.

Our use of derivative contracts involves credit and regulatory risk and may expose us to financial loss.

From time to time, we enter into hedging transactions to reduce our business risks arising from fluctuations in commodity prices and interest rates. Hedging transactions expose us to risk of financial loss in some circumstances, including if the other party to the contract defaults on its obligations to us or if there is a change in the expected differential between the price of the underlying commodity or financial metric provided in the hedging agreement and the actual amount received.

Transactional, margin, capital, recordkeeping, reporting, clearing and other requirements imposed on parties to derivatives transactions as a result of legislation (such as the Dodd-Frank Act) and related rulemaking may increase our operational and transactional cost of entering into and maintaining derivatives contracts and may adversely affect the number and/or creditworthiness of derivatives counterparties available to us. If we were to reduce our use of derivatives as a result of regulatory burdens or otherwise, our results of operations could become more volatile and our cash flow could be less predictable.

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Because we depend on particular management information systems to effectively manage all aspects of our delivery of propane, a failure in our operational systems or cyber security attacks on any of our facilities, or those of third parties, may adversely affect our financial results.

We depend on our management information systems to process orders, manage inventory and accounts receivable collections, maintain distributor and customer information, maintain cost-efficient operations and assist in delivering our products on a timely basis. In addition, our staff of management information systems professionals relies heavily on the support of several key personnel and vendors. Any disruption in the operation of those management information systems, loss of employees knowledgeable about such systems, termination of our relationship with one or more of these key vendors or failure to continue to modify such systems effectively as our business expands could negatively affect our business.

If any of our financial, operational, or other data processing systems fail or have other significant shortcomings, our financial results could be adversely affected.  Our financial results also could be adversely affected if an employee or third party causes our operational systems to fail, either as a result of inadvertent error or by deliberately tampering with or manipulating our operational systems.  In addition, dependence upon automated systems may further increase the risk that operational system flaws, employee tampering or manipulation of those systems will result in losses that are difficult to detect or recoup, including damage to our reputation.  To the extent customer data is hacked or misappropriated, we could be subject to liability to affected persons.

Risks Inherent in the Ownership of Our Common Units

Cash distributions are not guaranteed and may fluctuate with our performance and other external factors.

Cash distributions on our Common Units are not guaranteed, and depend primarily on our cash flow and our cash on hand. Because they are not dependent on profitability, which is affected by non-cash items, our cash distributions might be made during periods when we record losses and might not be made during periods when we record profits.

The amount of cash we generate may fluctuate based on our performance and other factors, including:

Our Partnership Agreement gives our Board of Supervisors broad discretion in establishing cash reserves for, among other things, the proper conduct of our business. These cash reserves will affect the amount of cash available for distributions.

We have substantial indebtedness. Our debt agreements may limit our ability to make distributions to Unitholders, as well as our financial flexibility.

As of September 26, 2015, our long-term debt borrowings consisted of $346.2 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.375% senior notes due August 1, 2021 (excluding unamortized premium of $19.9 million), $525.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.5% senior notes due June 1, 2024, $250.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.75% senior notes due March 1, 2025 and $100.0 million under our senior secured revolving credit facility.  The payment of principal and interest on our debt will reduce the cash available to make distributions on our common units. In addition, we will not be able to make any distributions to holders of our common units if there is, or after giving effect to such distribution, there would be, an event of default under the indentures governing the senior notes. The amount of distributions that we may make to holders of our common units is limited by the senior notes, and the amount of distributions that the Operating Partnership may make to us is limited by our revolving credit facility.

The revolving credit facility and the senior notes both contain various restrictive and affirmative covenants applicable to us and the Operating Partnership, respectively, including (i) restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, and (ii) restrictions on certain liens, investments, guarantees, loans, advances, payments, mergers, consolidations, distributions, sales of assets and other transactions. The revolving credit facility contains certain financial covenants: (a) requiring our consolidated interest coverage ratio, as defined, to be not less than 2.5 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter; (b) prohibiting our total consolidated leverage ratio, as

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defined, from being greater than 4.75 to 1.0 (or 5.0 to 1.0 during an acquisition period, as defined in the credit agreement governing the credit facility) as of the end of any fiscal quarter; and (c) prohibiting the senior secured consolidated leverage ratio, as defined, of the Operating Partnership from being greater than 3.0 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter.  Under the indentures governing the senior notes, we are generally permitted to make cash distributions equal to available cash, as defined, as of the end of the immediately preceding quarter, if no event of default exists or would exist upon making such distributions, and our consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio, as defined, is greater than 1.75 to 1. We and the Operating Partnership were in compliance with all covenants and terms of the senior notes and the revolving credit facility as of September 26, 2015.

The amount and terms of our debt may also adversely affect our ability to finance future operations and capital needs, limit our ability to pursue acquisitions and other business opportunities and make our results of operations more susceptible to adverse economic and industry conditions. In addition to our outstanding indebtedness, we may in the future require additional debt to finance acquisitions or for general business purposes; however, credit market conditions may impact our ability to access such financing.  If we are unable to access needed financing or to generate sufficient cash from operations, we may be required to abandon certain projects or curtail capital expenditures.  Additional debt, where it is available, could result in an increase in our leverage.  Our ability to make principal and interest payments depends on our future performance, which is subject to many factors, some of which are beyond our control.  As interest expense increases (whether due to an increase in interest rates and/or the size of aggregate outstanding debt), our ability to fund distributions on our Common Units may be impacted, depending on the level of revenue generation, which is not assured.

Unitholders have limited voting rights.

A Board of Supervisors governs our operations.  Unitholders have only limited voting rights on matters affecting our business, including the right to elect the members of our Board of Supervisors every three years and the right to vote on the removal of the general partner.

It may be difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so would be beneficial to our Unitholders.

Some provisions of our Partnership Agreement may discourage, delay or prevent third parties from acquiring us, even if doing so would be beneficial to our Unitholders.  For example, our Partnership Agreement contains a provision, based on Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, that generally prohibits the Partnership from engaging in a business combination with a 15% or greater Unitholder for a period of three years following the date that person or entity acquired at least 15% of our outstanding Common Units, unless certain exceptions apply.  Additionally, our Partnership Agreement sets forth advance notice procedures for a Unitholder to nominate a Supervisor to stand for election, which procedures may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of Supervisors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of the Partnership.  These nomination procedures may not be revised or repealed, and inconsistent provisions may not be adopted, without the approval of the holders of at least 66-2/3% of the outstanding Common Units.  These provisions may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by our Board of Supervisors, including discouraging attempts that might result in a premium over the market price of the Common Units held by our Unitholders.

Unitholders may not have limited liability in some circumstances.

A number of states have not clearly established limitations on the liabilities of limited partners for the obligations of a limited partnership. Our Unitholders might be held liable for our obligations as if they were general partners if:

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Unitholders may have liability to repay distributions.

Unitholders will not be liable for assessments in addition to their initial capital investment in the Common Units. Under specific circumstances, however, Unitholders may have to repay to us amounts wrongfully returned or distributed to them. Under Delaware law, we may not make a distribution to Unitholders if the distribution causes our liabilities to exceed the fair value of our assets. Liabilities to partners on account of their partnership interests and nonrecourse liabilities are not counted for purposes of determining whether a distribution is permitted. Delaware law provides that a limited partner who receives a distribution of this kind and knew at the time of the distribution that the distribution violated Delaware law will be liable to the limited partnership for the distribution amount for three years from the distribution date. Under Delaware law, an assignee who becomes a substituted limited partner of a limited partnership is liable for the obligations of the assignor to make contributions to the partnership. However, such an assignee is not obligated for liabilities unknown to him at the time he or she became a limited partner if the liabilities could not be determined from the partnership agreement.

If we issue additional limited partner interests or other equity securities as consideration for acquisitions or for other purposes, the relative voting strength of each Unitholder will be diminished over time due to the dilution of each Unitholder’s interests and additional taxable income may be allocated to each Unitholder.

Our Partnership Agreement generally allows us to issue additional limited partner interests and other equity securities without the approval of our Unitholders. Therefore, when we issue additional Common Units or securities ranking on a parity with the Common Units, each Unitholder’s proportionate partnership interest will decrease, and the amount of cash distributed on each Common Unit and the market price of Common Units could decrease. The issuance of additional Common Units will also diminish the relative voting strength of each previously outstanding Common Unit. In addition, the issuance of additional Common Units will, over time, result in the allocation of additional taxable income, representing built-in gains at the time of the new issuance, to those Unitholders that existed prior to the new issuance.

Tax Risks to Unitholders

Our tax treatment depends on our status as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) could treat us as a corporation, which would substantially reduce the cash available for distribution to Unitholders.

The anticipated after-tax economic benefit of an investment in our Common Units depends largely on our being treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If less than 90% of the gross income of a publicly traded partnership, such as Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., for any taxable year is “qualifying income” within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code, that partnership will be taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes for that taxable year and all subsequent years.

If we were treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, then we would pay U.S. federal income tax on our income at the corporate tax rate, which is currently a maximum of 35%, and would likely pay additional state income tax at varying rates. Because a tax would be imposed upon us as a corporation, our cash available for distribution to Unitholders would be substantially reduced. Treatment of us as a corporation would result in a material reduction in the anticipated cash flow and after-tax return to Unitholders and thus would likely result in a substantial reduction in the value of our Common Units.

The tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships or an investment in our Common Units could be subject to potential legislative, judicial or administrative changes and differing interpretations thereof, possibly on a retroactive basis.

The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships, including Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., or an investment in our Common Units may be modified by legislative, judicial or administrative changes and differing interpretations thereof at any time. Any modification to the U.S. federal income tax laws or interpretations thereof may or may not be applied retroactively.  Moreover, any such modification could make it more difficult or impossible for us to meet the exception that allows publicly traded partnerships that generate qualifying income to be treated as partnerships (rather than as corporations) for U.S. federal income tax purposes, affect or cause us to change our business activities, or affect the tax consequences of an investment in our Common Units. On May 5, 2015, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service issued proposed regulations interpreting the scope of qualifying income for publicly traded partnerships by providing industry-specific guidance with respect to activities that will generate qualifying income for purposes of the qualifying income requirement. The proposed regulations could modify the amount of our gross income that we are able to treat as qualifying income for purposes of the qualifying income requirement. Based on the legislative history of Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code and previous Internal Revenue Service guidance, we do not believe that the proposed regulations should affect our ability to qualify as a publicly traded partnership or the characterization of the income from our propane activities as qualifying income. However, there are no assurances that the proposed regulations, when published as final regulations, will not take a position that is contrary to our interpretation of Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code. We have not requested, and do not plan to request, a ruling from the IRS on this or any other tax matter affecting us.  We are unable to predict whether any of these changes, or other proposals, will ultimately be enacted. Any such changes could negatively impact the value of an investment in our units.

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In addition, because of widespread state budget deficits and other reasons, several states are evaluating ways to subject partnerships to entity-level taxation through the imposition of state income, franchise and other forms of taxation.

A successful IRS contest of the U.S. federal income tax positions we take may adversely affect the market for our Common Units, and the cost of any IRS contest will reduce our cash available for distribution to our Unitholders.

We have not requested a ruling from the IRS with respect to our treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes or any other matter affecting us. The IRS may adopt positions that differ from the positions we take. It may be necessary to resort to administrative or court proceedings to sustain some or all of the positions we take. A court may not agree with the positions we take. Any contest with the IRS may materially and adversely impact the market for our Common Units and the price at which they trade. In addition, our costs of any contest with the IRS will be borne indirectly by our Unitholders because the costs will reduce our cash available for distribution.

A Unitholder’s tax liability could exceed cash distributions on its Common Units.

Because our Unitholders are treated as partners, a Unitholder is required to pay U.S. federal income taxes and state and local income taxes on its allocable share of our income, without regard to whether we make cash distributions to the Unitholder.  We cannot guarantee that a Unitholder will receive cash distributions equal to its allocable share of our taxable income or even the tax liability to it resulting from that income.

Ownership of Common Units may have adverse tax consequences for tax-exempt organizations and foreign investors.

Investment in Common Units by certain tax-exempt entities and foreign persons raises issues specific to them. For example, virtually all of our taxable income allocated to organizations exempt from U.S. federal income tax, including individual retirement accounts and other retirement plans, will be unrelated business taxable income and thus will be taxable to the Unitholder.  Distributions to foreign persons will be reduced by withholding taxes at the highest applicable effective tax rate, and foreign persons will be required to file U.S. federal income tax returns and pay tax on their share of our taxable income. Tax-exempt organizations and foreign persons should consult, and should depend on, their own tax advisors in analyzing the U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income tax and other tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership or disposition of Common Units.

The ability of a Unitholder to deduct its share of our losses may be limited.

Various limitations may apply to the ability of a Unitholder to deduct its share of our losses. For example, in the case of taxpayers subject to the passive activity loss rules (generally, individuals and closely held corporations), any losses generated by us will only be available to offset our future income and cannot be used to offset income from other activities, including other passive activities or investments. Such unused losses may be deducted when the Unitholder disposes of its entire investment in us in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party, such as a sale by a Unitholder of all of its Common Units in the open market. A Unitholder’s share of any net passive income may be offset by unused losses from us carried over from prior years, but not by losses from other passive activities, including losses from other publicly-traded partnerships.

The tax gain or loss on the disposition of Common Units could be different than expected.

A Unitholder who sells Common Units will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and its adjusted tax basis in the Common Units. Prior distributions in excess of cumulative net taxable income allocated to a Common Unit which decreased a Unitholder’s tax basis in that Common Unit will, in effect, become taxable income if the Common Unit is sold at a price greater than the Unitholder’s tax basis in that Common Unit, even if the price is less than the original cost of the Common Unit. A portion of the amount realized, if the amount realized exceeds the Unitholder’s adjusted basis in that Common Unit, will likely be characterized as ordinary income. Furthermore, should the IRS successfully contest some conventions used by us, a Unitholder could recognize more gain on the sale of Common Units than would be the case under those conventions, without the benefit of decreased income in prior years.  In addition, because the amount realized will include a holder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities, if a Unitholder sells its Common Units, such Unitholder may incur a tax liability in excess of the amount of cash it receives from the sale.

Reporting of partnership tax information is complicated and subject to audits.

We intend to furnish to each Unitholder, within 90 days after the close of each calendar year, specific tax information, including a Schedule K-1 that sets forth its allocable share of income, gains, losses and deductions for our preceding taxable year.  In preparing these schedules, we use various accounting and reporting conventions and adopt various depreciation and amortization methods.  We cannot guarantee that these conventions will yield a result that conforms to statutory or regulatory requirements or to administrative pronouncements of the IRS.  Further, our income tax return may be audited, which could result in an audit of a Unitholder’s income tax return and increased liabilities for taxes because of adjustments resulting from the audit.

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We treat each purchaser of our Common Units as having the same tax benefits without regard to the actual Common Units purchased. The IRS may challenge this treatment, which could adversely affect the value of the Common Units.

Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of Common Units and because of other reasons, uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics of the Common Units to a purchaser of Common Units of the same class must be maintained. To maintain uniformity and for other reasons, we have adopted certain depreciation and amortization conventions that may be inconsistent with Treasury Regulations. A successful IRS challenge to those positions could adversely affect the amount of tax benefits available to a Unitholder.  It also could affect the timing of these tax benefits or the amount of gain from the sale of Common Units, and could have a negative impact on the value of our Common Units or result in audit adjustments to a Unitholder’s income tax return.

We prorate our items of income, gain, loss and deduction between transferors and transferees of our Common Units each month based upon the ownership of our Common Units on the first day of each month, instead of on the basis of the date a particular Common Unit is transferred. The IRS may challenge this treatment, which could change the allocation of items of income, gain, loss and deduction among our Unitholders.

We prorate our items of income, gain, loss and deduction between transferors and transferees of our Common Units each month based upon the ownership of our Common Units on the first day of each month, instead of on the basis of the date a particular Common Unit is transferred. The U.S. Treasury Department has issued proposed Treasury Regulations that provide a safe harbor pursuant to which publicly traded partnerships may use a similar monthly simplifying convention to allocate tax items among transferors and transferees of our common units.  However, if the IRS were to challenge our proration method, we may be required to change the allocation of items of income, gain, loss and deduction among our Unitholders.

Unitholders may have negative tax consequences if we default on our debt or sell assets.

If we default on any of our debt obligations, our lenders will have the right to sue us for non-payment. This could cause an investment loss and negative tax consequences for Unitholders through the realization of taxable income by Unitholders without a corresponding cash distribution. Likewise, if we were to dispose of assets and realize a taxable gain while there is substantial debt outstanding and proceeds of the sale were applied to the debt, Unitholders could have increased taxable income without a corresponding cash distribution.

The sale or exchange of 50% or more of our capital and profits interests during any twelve-month period will result in the termination of our partnership for federal income tax purposes.

We will be considered to have terminated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes if there is a sale or exchange of 50% or more of the total interests in our capital and profits within a twelve-month period. Our termination would, among other things, result in the closing of our taxable year for all Unitholders and could result in a deferral of depreciation deductions allowable in computing our taxable income. In the case of a Unitholder reporting on a taxable year other than the calendar year, the closing of our taxable year may also result in more than twelve months of our taxable income or loss being includable in his taxable income for the year of termination. Our termination currently would not affect our treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, but instead, after our termination we would be treated as a new partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If treated as a new partnership, we must make new tax elections and could be subject to penalties if we are unable to determine that a termination occurred.

There are state, local and other tax considerations for our Unitholders.

In addition to U.S. federal income taxes, Unitholders will likely be subject to other taxes, such as state and local taxes, unincorporated business taxes and estate, inheritance or intangible taxes that are imposed by the various jurisdictions in which we do business or own property, even if the Unitholder does not reside in any of those jurisdictions. A Unitholder will likely be required to file state and local income tax returns and pay state and local income taxes in some or all of the various jurisdictions in which we do business or own property and may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those requirements. It is the responsibility of each Unitholder to file all U.S. federal, state and local income tax returns that may be required of each Unitholder.

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A Unitholder whose Common Units are loaned to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of Common Units may be considered as having disposed of those Common Units.  If so, that Unitholder would no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those Common Units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition.

Because there is no tax concept of loaning a partnership interest, a Unitholder whose Common Units are loaned to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of Common Units may be considered as having disposed of the loaned Common Units.  In that case, a Unitholder may no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those Common Units during the period of the loan to the short seller and may recognize gain or loss from such disposition.  Moreover, during the period of the loan to the short seller, any of our income, gain, loss or deduction with respect to those Common Units may not be reportable by the Unitholder and any cash distribution received by the Unitholder as to those Common Units could be fully taxable as ordinary income.  Unitholders desiring to ensure their status as partners and avoid the risk of gain recognition from a loan to a short seller should consult their own tax advisors to discuss whether it is advisable to modify any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from borrowing their Common Units.

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None.

As of September 26, 2015, we owned approximately 73% of our customer service center and satellite locations and leased the balance of our retail locations from third parties.  We own and operate a 22 million gallon refrigerated, aboveground propane storage facility in Elk Grove, California.  Additionally, we own our principal executive offices located in Whippany, New Jersey.

The transportation of propane requires specialized equipment.  The trucks and railroad tank cars utilized for this purpose carry specialized steel tanks that maintain the propane in a liquefied state. As of September 26, 2015, we had a fleet of 13 transport truck tractors, of which we owned 6, and 23 railroad tank cars, of which we owned none.  In addition, as of September 26, 2015 we had 1,210 bobtail and rack trucks, of which we owned 52%, 121 fuel oil tankwagons, of which we owned 74%, and 1,389 other delivery and service vehicles, of which we owned 62%.  We lease the vehicles we do not own.  As of September 26, 2015, we also owned 906,708 customer propane storage tanks with typical capacities of 100 to 500 gallons, 66,630 customer propane storage tanks with typical capacities of over 500 gallons and 298,254 portable propane cylinders with typical capacities of five to ten gallons.

Litigation

Our operations are subject to operating hazards and risks normally incidental to handling, storing and delivering combustible liquids such as propane.  We have been, and will continue to be, a defendant in various legal proceedings and litigation as a result of these operating hazards and risks, and as a result of other aspects of our business.  Although any litigation is inherently uncertain, based on past experience, the information currently available to us, and the amount of our accrued insurance liabilities, we do not believe that currently pending or threatened litigation matters, or known claims or known contingent claims, will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flow.

None.

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PART II

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The following table presents our selected consolidated historical financial data as derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, certain of which are included elsewhere in this Annual Report.  All amounts in the table below, except per unit data, are in thousands.

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The following table sets forth our calculations of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:

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The following is a discussion of our financial condition and results of operations, which should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Executive Overview

The following are factors that regularly affect our operating results and financial condition.  In addition, our business is subject to the risks and uncertainties described in Item 1A of this Annual Report.

Product Costs and Supply

The level of profitability in the retail propane, fuel oil, natural gas and electricity businesses is largely dependent on the difference between retail sales price and our costs to acquire and transport products.  The unit cost of our products, particularly propane, fuel oil and natural gas, is subject to volatility as a result of supply and demand dynamics or other market conditions, including, but not limited to, economic and political factors impacting crude oil and natural gas supply or pricing.  We enter into product supply contracts that are generally one-year agreements subject to annual renewal, and also purchase product on the open market.  We attempt to reduce price risk by pricing product on a short-term basis.  Our propane supply contracts typically provide for pricing based upon index formulas using the posted prices established at major supply points such as Mont Belvieu, Texas, or Conway, Kansas (plus transportation costs) at the time of delivery.

To supplement our annual purchase requirements, we may utilize forward fixed price purchase contracts to acquire a portion of the propane that we resell to our customers, which allows us to manage our exposure to unfavorable changes in commodity prices and to assure adequate physical supply.  The percentage of contract purchases, and the amount of supply contracted for under forward contracts at fixed prices, will vary from year to year based on market conditions.

Changes in our costs to acquire and transport products can occur rapidly over a short period of time and can impact profitability.  There is no assurance that we will be able to pass on product acquisition and transportation cost increases fully or immediately, particularly when such costs increase rapidly.  Therefore, average retail sales prices can vary significantly from year to year as our costs fluctuate with the propane, fuel oil, crude oil and natural gas commodity markets and infrastructure conditions.  In addition, periods of sustained higher commodity and/or transportation prices can lead to customer conservation, resulting in reduced demand for our product.

Seasonality

The retail propane and fuel oil distribution businesses, as well as the natural gas marketing business, are seasonal because these fuels are primarily used for heating in residential and commercial buildings.  Historically, approximately two‑thirds of our retail propane volume is sold during the six-month peak heating season from October through March. The fuel oil business tends to experience greater seasonality given its more limited use for space heating and approximately three-fourths of our fuel oil volumes are sold between October and March.  Consequently, sales and operating profits are concentrated in our first and second fiscal quarters.  Cash flows from operations, therefore, are greatest during the second and third fiscal quarters when customers pay for product purchased during the winter heating season.  We expect lower operating profits and either net losses or lower net income during the period from April through September (our third and fourth fiscal quarters).  To the extent necessary, we will reserve cash from the second and third quarters for distribution to holders of our Common Units in the fourth quarter and the following fiscal year first quarter.

Weather

Weather conditions have a significant impact on the demand for our products, in particular propane, fuel oil and natural gas, for both heating and agricultural purposes.  Many of our customers rely heavily on propane, fuel oil or natural gas as a heating source.  Accordingly, the volume sold is directly affected by the severity of the winter weather in our service areas, which can vary substantially from year to year.  In any given area, sustained warmer than normal temperatures will tend to result in reduced propane, fuel oil and natural gas consumption, while sustained colder than normal temperatures will tend to result in greater consumption.

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Hedging and Risk Management Activities

We engage in hedging and risk management activities to reduce the effect of price volatility on our product costs and to ensure the availability of product during periods of short supply.  We enter into propane forward, options and swap agreements with third parties, and use futures and options contracts traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (“NYMEX”) to purchase and sell propane, fuel oil and crude oil at fixed prices in the future.   The majority of the futures, forward and options agreements are used to hedge price risk associated with propane and fuel oil physical inventory, as well as, in certain instances, forecasted purchases of propane or fuel oil.  In addition, we sell propane and fuel oil to customers at fixed prices, and enter into derivative instruments to hedge a portion of our exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices as a result of selling the fixed price contracts. Forward contracts are generally settled physically at the expiration of the contract whereas futures, options and swap contracts are generally settled at the expiration of the contract through a net settlement mechanism.  Although we use derivative instruments to reduce the effect of price volatility associated with priced physical inventory and forecasted transactions, we do not use derivative instruments for speculative trading purposes. Risk management activities are monitored by an internal Commodity Risk Management Committee, made up of seven members of management and reporting to our Audit Committee, through enforcement of our Hedging and Risk Management Policy.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies included within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements section elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Certain amounts included in or affecting our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures must be estimated, requiring management to make certain assumptions with respect to values or conditions that cannot be known with certainty at the time the financial statements are prepared.  The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We are also subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ from estimated results. Estimates are used when accounting for depreciation and amortization of long-lived assets, employee benefit plans, self-insurance and litigation reserves, environmental reserves, allowances for doubtful accounts, asset valuation assessments and valuation of derivative instruments.  We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources.  Any effects on our business, financial position or results of operations resulting from revisions to these estimates are recorded in the period in which the facts that give rise to the revision become known to us.  Management has reviewed these critical accounting estimates and related disclosures with the Audit Committee of our Board of Supervisors.  We believe that the following are our critical accounting estimates:

Allowances for Doubtful Accounts.  We maintain allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make required payments.  We estimate our allowances for doubtful accounts using a specific reserve for known or anticipated uncollectible accounts, as well as an estimated reserve for potential future uncollectible accounts taking into consideration our historical write-offs.  If the financial condition of one or more of our customers were to deteriorate resulting in an impairment in their ability to make payments, additional allowances could be required.  As a result of our large customer base, which is comprised of approximately 1.1 million customers, no individual customer account is material.  Therefore, while some variation to actual results occurs, historically such variability has not been material.  Schedule II, Valuation and Qualifying Accounts, provides a summary of the changes in our allowances for doubtful accounts during the period.

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits.  We estimate the rate of return on plan assets, the discount rate used to estimate the present value of future benefit obligations and the expected cost of future health care benefits in determining our annual pension and other postretirement benefit costs.  In October 2014, the Society of Actuaries (“SOA”) issued new mortality tables (RP-2014) and a new mortality improvement scale (MP-2014).  We use SOA and other actuarial life expectancy information when developing the annual mortality assumptions for our pension and postretirement benefit plans, which are used to measure net periodic benefit costs and the obligation under these plans. While we believe that our assumptions are appropriate, significant differences in our actual experience or significant changes in market conditions may materially affect our pension and other postretirement benefit obligations and our future expense.  With other assumptions held constant, an increase or decrease of 100 basis points in the discount rate would have an immaterial impact on net pension and postretirement benefit costs. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources - Pension Plan Assets and Obligations” below for additional disclosure regarding pension benefits.

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Self-Insurance Reserves.  Our accrued self-insurance reserves represent the estimated costs of known and anticipated or unasserted claims under our general and product, workers’ compensation and automobile insurance policies.  Accrued insurance provisions for unasserted claims arising from unreported incidents are based on an analysis of historical claims data.  For each unasserted claim, we record a self‑insurance provision up to the estimated amount of the probable claim utilizing actuarially determined loss development factors applied to actual claims data.  Our self-insurance provisions are susceptible to change to the extent that actual claims development differs from historical claims development.  We maintain insurance coverage wherein our net exposure for insured claims is limited to the insurance deductible, claims above which are paid by our insurance carriers.  For the portion of our estimated self-insurance liability that exceeds our deductibles, we record an asset related to the amount of the liability expected to be paid by the insurance companies.  Historically, we have not experienced significant variability in our actuarial estimates for claims incurred but not reported. Accrued insurance provisions for reported claims are reviewed at least quarterly, and our assessment of whether a loss is probable and/or reasonably estimable is updated as necessary.  Due to the inherently uncertain nature of, in particular, product liability claims, the ultimate loss may differ materially from our estimates.  However, because of the nature of our insurance arrangements, those material variations historically have not, nor are they expected in the future to have, a material impact on our results of operations or financial position.

Loss Contingencies.  In the normal course of business, we are involved in various claims and legal proceedings.  We record a liability for such matters when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amounts can be reasonably estimated.  The liability includes probable and estimable legal costs to the point in the legal matter where we believe a conclusion to the matter will be reached.  When only a range of possible loss can be established, the most probable amount in the range is accrued.  If no amount within this range is a better estimate than any other amount within the range, the minimum amount in the range is accrued.

We contribute to multi-employer pension plans (“MEPPs”) in accordance with various collective bargaining agreements covering union employees.  As one of the many participating employers in these MEPPs, we are responsible with the other participating employers for any plan underfunding.  Due to the uncertainty regarding future factors that could impact the withdrawal liability, the Partnership is unable to determine the timing of the payment of the future withdrawal liability, or additional future withdrawal liability, if any.

Fair Values of Acquired Assets and Liabilities.  From time to time, we enter into material business combinations. In accordance with accounting guidance associated with business combinations, the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their estimated fair value as of the acquisition date.  Fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed are based upon available information and may involve us engaging an independent third party to perform an appraisal.  Estimating fair values can be complex and subject to significant business judgment. Estimates most commonly impact property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, including goodwill.  Generally, we have, if necessary, up to one year from the acquisition date to finalize our estimates of acquisition date fair values.

Results of Operations and Financial Condition

Net income for fiscal 2015 was $84.4 million, or $1.39 per Common Unit, compared to $94.5 million, or $1.56 per Common Unit, in fiscal 2014.

Net income and EBITDA (as defined and reconciled below) for fiscal 2015 included: (i) a loss on debt extinguishment of $15.1 million; (ii) $11.5 million in expenses related to the integration of Inergy Propane; (iii) an $11.3 million charge related to the Partnership’s voluntary partial withdrawal from a multi-employer pension plan covering certain employees acquired in the Inergy Propane acquisition; and (iv) a pension settlement charge of $2.0 million. Net income and EBITDA for fiscal 2014 included: (i) a loss on debt extinguishment of $11.6 million; and (ii) $12.3 million in expenses related to the integration of Inergy Propane.  Excluding the effects of the foregoing items and unrealized (non-cash) mark-to-market adjustments on derivative instruments in both years, Adjusted EBITDA (as defined and reconciled below) amounted to $334.0 million in fiscal 2015, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $338.5 million in fiscal 2014.

Retail propane gallons sold in fiscal 2015 decreased 50.4 million gallons, or 9.5%, to 480.4 million gallons from 530.7 million gallons in fiscal 2014. Sales of fuel oil and other refined fuels decreased 7.2 million gallons, or 14.7%, to 41.9 million gallons from 49.1 million gallons in fiscal 2014.  According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, average temperatures (as measured by heating degree days) across all of the Partnership’s service territories for fiscal 2015 were 2% warmer than normal and 5% warmer than the prior year. The fiscal 2015 heating season started with unseasonably warm temperatures throughout much of the first quarter, inclusive of a December that was one of the warmest on record, followed by inconsistent temperatures across the Partnership’s eastern and midwestern service territories for the remainder of the heating season. The Partnership’s western service territories experienced sustained warmer than normal temperatures throughout the year with average temperatures that were 23% warmer than normal and 9% warmer than the prior year.  

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Revenues for fiscal 2015 of $1,417.0 million decreased $521.3 million, or 26.9%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower retail selling prices associated with lower wholesale costs and, to a lesser extent, lower volumes sold. Average posted propane prices (basis Mont Belvieu, Texas) for fiscal 2015 were 52.7% lower than the prior year, and average posted prices for fuel oil were 35.5% lower than the prior year.

Cost of products sold for fiscal 2015 of $593.4 million decreased $487.4 million, or 45.1%, compared to $1,080.8 million in the prior year, primarily due to lower wholesale costs and, to a lesser extent, lower volumes sold. Cost of products sold for fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014 included unrealized (non-cash) gains of $1.9 million and $0.3 million, respectively, attributable to the mark-to-market adjustment for derivative instruments used in risk management activities. These unrealized gains and losses are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA for both periods in the table below.  

Combined operating and general and administrative expenses of $512.5 million for fiscal 2015 were $18.4 million, or 3.5%, lower than fiscal 2014.  Excluding integration-related expenses for both periods, as well as the multi-employer pension plan withdrawal and pension settlement charges in fiscal 2015 discussed above, combined operating and general administrative expenses decreased 6.0% compared to the prior year.  The Partnership continued to realize operating efficiencies and synergies as a result of the integration of Inergy Propane, including lower headcount and lower vehicle count, and lower general insurance and bad debt expense.

Depreciation and amortization expense of $133.3 million for fiscal 2015 decreased $3.1 million, or 2.3%, primarily due to the acceleration of depreciation expense recorded in the prior year for assets taken out of service as a result of integration activities. Net interest expense of $77.6 million for fiscal 2015 decreased $5.6 million, or 6.8%, primarily due to savings from the refinancing of certain of the Partnership’s senior notes completed in the third quarter of fiscal 2014 and in the second quarter of fiscal 2015.

During fiscal 2015, we succeeded in accomplishing many significant goals.  The following highlight a few key accomplishments for fiscal 2015:

As we look ahead to fiscal 2016, our anticipated cash requirements include: (i) maintenance and growth capital expenditures of approximately $35.0 million; (ii) approximately $74.9 million of interest and income tax payments; and (iii) approximately $215.7 million of distributions to Unitholders, assuming distributions remain at the current annualized rate of $3.55 per Common Unit.  Based on our current cash position of $152.3 million as of September 26, 2015, availability of funds under the Revolving Credit Facility (unused borrowing capacity of $253.8 million at September 26, 2015) and expected cash flow from operating activities, we expect to have sufficient funds to meet our current and future obligations.

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Fiscal Year 2015 Compared to Fiscal Year 2014

Revenues

Total revenues decreased $521.3 million, or 26.9%, to $1,417.0 million for fiscal 2015 compared to $1,938.3 million for the prior year due to lower average propane, fuel oil and refined fuels and natural gas selling prices and, to a lesser extent, lower volumes sold.  As discussed above, average temperatures (as measured in heating degree days) across all of our service territories for fiscal 2015 were 2% warmer than normal and 5% warmer than the prior year.  The weather pattern during the fiscal 2015 heating season was characterized by warmer than normal temperatures for the first quarter of fiscal 2015, particularly during the month of December 2014 (December 2014 was 15% warmer than normal and 21% warmer than December 2013), followed by inconsistent temperatures in our eastern and midwestern territories during the latter half of the heating season.  We also experienced sustained warmer than normal temperatures in our western territories throughout fiscal 2015 as average temperatures were 23% warmer than normal and 9% warmer than the comparable prior year period.

Revenues from the distribution of propane and related activities of $1,177.0 million for fiscal 2015 decreased $429.9 million, or 26.8%, compared to $1,606.8 million for the prior year, primarily due to lower average retail selling prices associated with lower wholesale propane costs and, to a lesser extent, lower volumes sold.  Average propane selling prices for fiscal 2015 decreased 20.3% compared to the prior year, resulting in a $281.0 million decrease in revenues year-over-year.  Retail propane gallons sold in fiscal 2015 decreased 50.4 million gallons, or 9.5%, resulting in a decrease in revenues of $145.0 million.  Volumes sold during fiscal 2015 were adversely affected by the unseasonably warm weather during key parts of the winter heating season discussed above.  Included within the propane segment are revenues from other propane activities of $75.3 million for fiscal 2015, which decreased $3.9 million compared to the prior year.

Revenues from the distribution of fuel oil and refined fuels of $127.5 million for fiscal 2015 decreased $67.2 million, or 34.5%, from $194.7 million for the prior year, primarily due to lower average selling prices and, to a lesser extent, lower volumes sold.  Average selling prices in our fuel oil and refined fuels segment decreased 23.2%, resulting in a $38.5 million decrease in revenues.  Fuel oil and refined fuels gallons sold in fiscal 2015 decreased 7.2 million gallons, or 14.7%, resulting in a decrease in revenues of $28.7 million.  The decrease in volumes sold was primarily due to the impact of the unfavorable weather trends discussed above.  

Revenues in our natural gas and electricity segment decreased $20.2 million, or 23.2%, to $66.9 million in fiscal 2015 compared to $87.1 million in the prior year as a result of lower average selling prices for natural gas and electricity as a result of lower average wholesale costs and, to a lesser extent, lower natural gas and electricity usage.

Cost of Products Sold

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The cost of products sold reported in the consolidated statements of operations represents the weighted average unit cost of propane, fuel oil and refined fuels, natural gas and electricity sold, including transportation costs to deliver product from our supply points to storage or to our customer service centers.  Cost of products sold also includes the cost of appliances and related parts sold or installed by our customer service centers computed on a basis that approximates the average cost of the products.  

Given the retail nature of our operations, we maintain a certain level of priced physical inventory to help ensure that our field operations have adequate supply commensurate with the time of year.  Our strategy has been, and will continue to be, to keep our physical inventory priced relatively close to market for our field operations.  Consistent with past practices, we principally utilize futures and/or options contracts traded on the NYMEX to mitigate the price risk associated with our priced physical inventory.  Under this risk management strategy, realized gains or losses on futures or options contracts, which are reported in cost of products sold, will typically offset losses or gains on the physical inventory once the product is sold (which may or may not occur in the same accounting period).  We do not use futures or options contracts, or other derivative instruments, for speculative trading purposes.  Unrealized (non-cash) gains or losses from changes in the fair value of derivative instruments that are not designated as cash flow hedges are recorded within cost of products sold.  Cost of products sold excludes depreciation and amortization; these amounts are reported separately within the consolidated statements of operations.

From a commodity perspective, propane prices declined rather sharply during the first quarter of fiscal 2015 and continued to trend downward for the remainder of the fiscal year, primarily due to sustained record or near-record high U.S. propane inventories. The movement in commodity prices in fiscal 2015 was in stark contrast to the prior year, when prices were rising rapidly due to industry-wide supply and logistics challenges, particularly during the peak of the fiscal 2014 heating season.  Overall, average posted prices for propane (basis Mont Belvieu, Texas) and fuel oil prices for fiscal 2015 were 52.7% and 35.5% lower than the prior year, respectively.  The net change in the fair value of derivative instruments during the period resulted in unrealized (non-cash) gains of $1.9 million and $0.3 million reported in cost of products sold in fiscal 2015 and 2014, respectively, resulting in a decrease of $1.6 million in cost of products sold in fiscal 2015 compared to the prior year, $1.3 million of which was reported in the propane segment and $0.3 million was reported in the fuel oil and refined fuels segment.

Cost of products sold associated with the distribution of propane and related activities of $443.5 million for fiscal 2015 decreased $401.3 million, or 47.5%, compared to the prior year primarily due to lower wholesale costs and, to a lesser extent, lower volumes sold.  Lower average propane costs and lower propane volumes sold during fiscal 2015 resulted in a decrease of $310.3 million and $78.2 million, respectively.  Cost of products sold from other propane activities decreased $11.5 million.

Cost of products sold associated with our fuel oil and refined fuels segment of $92.6 million for fiscal 2015 decreased $63.1 million, or 40.5%, compared to the prior year.  Lower fuel oil and refined fuels wholesale costs and lower volumes sold, resulted in decreases of $39.8 million and $23.0 million, respectively, in costs of products sold during fiscal 2015 compared to the prior year.

Cost of products sold in our natural gas and electricity segment of $42.3 million for fiscal 2015 decreased $22.1 million, or 34.3%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower natural gas and electricity wholesale costs and, to a lesser extent, lower usage.

Total cost of products sold as a percent of total revenues decreased 13.9 percentage points to 41.9% in fiscal 2015 from 55.8% in the prior year, primarily due to the decline in wholesale costs outpacing the decline in average selling prices in all segments during fiscal 2015.

Operating Expenses

All costs of operating our retail distribution and appliance sales and service operations are reported within operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.  These operating expenses include the compensation and benefits of field and direct operating support personnel, costs of operating and maintaining our vehicle fleet, overhead and other costs of our purchasing, training and safety departments and other direct and indirect costs of operating our customer service centers.

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Operating expenses of $444.3 million for fiscal 2015 decreased $22.1 million, or 4.7%, compared to $466.4 million in the prior year, primarily due to operating efficiencies and synergies realized as a result of the integration of Inergy Propane; including lower payroll and benefit-related expenses attributable to reduced headcount, lower vehicles expenses attributable to reduced vehicle count and lower fuel costs to operate our fleet, and lower bad debt and insurance expenses. Operating expenses for fiscal 2015 included expenses of $9.7 million associated with the integration of the Inergy Propane operations, an $11.3 million charge related to our voluntary partial withdrawal from a multi-employer pension plan, and a pension settlement charge of $2.0 million. Operating expenses for fiscal 2014 included integration-related expenses of $8.1 million.  These items were excluded from our calculation of Adjusted EBITDA below.

General and Administrative Expenses

All costs of our back office support functions, including compensation and benefits for executives and other support functions, as well as other costs and expenses to maintain finance and accounting, treasury, legal, human resources, corporate development and the information systems functions are reported within general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.

General and administrative expenses of $68.3 million for fiscal 2015 increased $3.7 million from $64.6 million in the prior year, primarily due to higher payroll expenses, including variable compensation, and higher professional service fees associated with uninsured legal matters. General and administrative expenses for fiscal 2015 and 2014 included $1.9 million and $4.2 million, respectively, of professional services and other expenses associated with the integration of the Inergy Propane operations.  These items were excluded from our calculation of Adjusted EBITDA below.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization expense of $133.3 million in fiscal 2015 decreased $3.1 million from $136.4 million in the prior year, primarily as a result of accelerated depreciation expense recorded in the prior year for assets taken out of service from integration activities.

Loss on Debt Extinguishment

On February 25, 2015, we repurchased and satisfied and discharged all of our previously outstanding 2020 Senior Notes with net proceeds from the issuance of the 2025 Senior Notes and cash on hand, pursuant to a tender offer and redemption.  In connection with this tender offer and redemption, during the second quarter of fiscal 2015 we recognized a loss on the extinguishment of debt of $15.1 million, consisting of $11.1 million for the redemption premium and related fees, as well as the write-off of $2.9 million and $1.1 million in unamortized debt origination costs and unamortized discount, respectively.

On May 27, 2014, we repurchased and satisfied and discharged all of our previously outstanding 2018 Senior Notes with net proceeds from the issuance of the 2024 Senior Notes and cash on hand, pursuant to a tender offer and redemption.  In connection with this tender offer and redemption, we recognized a loss on the extinguishment of debt of $11.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2014, consisting of $31.6 million for the redemption premium and related fees, as well as the write-off of $5.3 million and ($25.3) million in unamortized debt origination costs and unamortized premium, respectively.

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Interest Expense, net

Net interest expense of $77.6 million for fiscal 2015 decreased $5.6 million from $83.3 million in the prior year, primarily due to the refinancing of $496.6 million of 7.5% Senior Notes due 2018 with $525.0 million of 5.5% Senior Notes due 2024 in the third quarter of fiscal 2014, and the refinancing of $250.0 million of 7.375% Senior Notes due 2020 with $250.0 million of 5.75% Senior Notes due 2025 in the second quarter of fiscal 2015.  See Liquidity and Capital Resources below for additional discussion.

Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA

Net income for fiscal 2015 amounted to $84.4 million, or $1.39 per Common Unit, compared to $94.5 million, or $1.56 per Common Unit, in fiscal 2014. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) for fiscal 2015 amounted to $296.0 million, compared to $314.9 million for fiscal 2014.

Net income and EBITDA for fiscal 2015 included: (i) a loss on debt extinguishment of $15.1 million; (ii) $11.5 million in expenses related to the integration of Inergy Propane; (iii) an $11.3 million charge related to our voluntary partial withdrawal from a multi-employer pension plan; and (iv) a pension settlement charge of $2.0 million.  Net income and EBITDA for fiscal 2014 included: (i) a loss on debt extinguishment of $11.6 million; and (ii) $12.3 million in expenses related to the integration of Inergy Propane. Excluding the effects of these items, as well as the unrealized (non-cash) mark-to-market adjustments on derivative instruments in both years, Adjusted EBITDA amounted to $334.0 million for fiscal 2015, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $338.5 million in fiscal 2014.

EBITDA represents net income before deducting interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization.  Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA excluding the unrealized net gain or loss on mark-to-market activity for derivative instruments and other items, as applicable, as provided in the table below.  Our management uses EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as supplemental measures of operating performance and we are including them because we believe that they provide our investors and industry analysts with additional information to evaluate our operating results.  EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not recognized terms under US GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or net cash provided by operating activities determined in accordance with US GAAP.  Because EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as determined by us excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income, they may not be comparable to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA or similarly titled measures used by other companies.

The following table sets forth our calculations of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:

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Fiscal Year 2014 Compared to Fiscal Year 2013

Revenues

Total revenues increased $234.7 million, or 13.8%, to $1,938.3 million for fiscal 2014 compared to $1,703.6 million for the prior year due to higher average propane, fuel oil and refined fuels and natural gas selling prices, offset to an extent by lower volumes sold.  As discussed above, average temperatures (as measured in heating degree days) across all of our service territories for fiscal 2014 were 3% colder than normal, compared to 4% warmer than normal in the prior year.  However, the weather pattern during the fiscal 2014 heating season was characterized by warmer than normal temperatures for the first two months of the period, followed by significantly colder than normal temperatures for the remainder of the heating season.  In addition, during the peak of our heating season, we experienced considerably colder than normal temperatures in our east and midwest service territories, but sustained unseasonably warm temperatures in our western territories.  Average temperatures in our western territories during the fiscal 2014 heating season were 11% warmer than normal and 6% warmer than the comparable prior year period.

Revenues from the distribution of propane and related activities of $1,606.8 million for fiscal 2014 increased $249.7 million, or 18.4%, compared to $1,357.1 million for the prior year, primarily due to higher average retail selling prices associated with higher wholesale propane costs, partially offset by a decrease in retail propane volumes sold.  Average propane selling prices for fiscal 2014 increased 20.0% compared to the prior year as a result of higher wholesale propane costs, resulting in a $254.6 million increase in revenues year-over-year.  Retail propane gallons sold in fiscal 2014 decreased 3.9 million gallons, or 0.7%, to 530.7 million gallons from 534.6 million gallons in the prior year.  Volumes sold during fiscal 2014 were adversely affected by supply constraints resulting from industry-wide supply shortages and logistics issues adversely affecting propane transportation sourcing and costs that persisted throughout much of our heating season.  Customer conservation attributable to the significant rise in propane prices also adversely affected volumes sold.  Lower retail propane volumes sold resulted in a decrease in revenues of $9.3 million for fiscal 2014 compared to the prior year.  Included within the propane segment are revenues from other propane activities of $79.1 million for fiscal 2014, which increased $4.4 million compared to the prior year.

Revenues from the distribution of fuel oil and refined fuels of $194.7 million for fiscal 2014 decreased $14.3 million, or 6.8%, from $209.0 million for the prior year, primarily due to lower volumes sold, partially offset by higher average selling prices.  Fuel oil and refined fuels gallons sold in fiscal 2014 decreased 4.6 million gallons, or 8.6%, to 49.1 million gallons from 53.7 million gallons in the prior year, primarily due to a decline in lower margin gasoline and diesel volumes.  Lower fuel oil and refined fuels volumes sold resulted in a decrease in revenues of $18.0 million for fiscal 2014 compared to the prior year. Average selling prices in our fuel oil and refined fuels segment in fiscal 2014 increased 2.0% compared to the prior year, resulting in a $3.7 million increase in revenues year-over-year.

Revenues in our natural gas and electricity segment increased $7.7 million, or 9.6%, to $87.1 million in fiscal 2014 compared to $79.4 million in the prior year as a result of higher average selling prices for natural gas and electricity as a result of higher average wholesale costs, partially offset by lower electricity usage.

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Cost of Products Sold

In the commodities markets, propane prices were extremely volatile during fiscal 2014 as a result of the supply and logistics issues that started late in the first fiscal quarter and continued throughout most of the second quarter.  Overall, average posted prices for propane for fiscal 2014 were 24.8% higher than the prior year while fuel oil prices were 2.1% lower than the prior year.  The net change in the fair value of derivative instruments during the period resulted in unrealized (non-cash) gains of $0.3 million and unrealized (non-cash) losses of $4.3 million reported in cost of products sold in fiscal 2014 and 2013, respectively, resulting in a decrease of $4.6 million in cost of products sold in fiscal 2014 compared to the prior year, $4.4 million of which was reported in the propane segment.

Cost of products sold associated with the distribution of propane and related activities of $844.9 million for fiscal 2014 increased $232.6 million, or 38.0%, compared to the prior year primarily due to higher wholesale costs and  higher transportation costs associated with the extraordinary measures we took to ensure adequate propane supplies were delivered to our customer service centers to meet customer demand during the heating season.  Higher average propane costs resulted in an increase of $233.3 million, partially offset by a decrease of $4.3 million related to lower propane volumes sold during fiscal 2014 compared to the prior year.  Cost of products sold from other propane activities increased $8.0 million.

Cost of products sold associated with our fuel oil and refined fuels segment of $155.8 million for fiscal 2014 decreased $16.2 million, or 9.4%, compared to the prior year.  Lower fuel oil and refined fuels volumes sold coupled with lower wholesale costs resulted in decreases of $14.8 million and $1.4 million, respectively, in costs of products sold during fiscal 2014 compared to the prior year.

Cost of products sold in our natural gas and electricity segment of $64.4 million for fiscal 2014 increased $8.5 million, or 15.1%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to higher natural gas and electricity wholesale costs, partially offset by lower volumes sold.

Total cost of products sold as a percent of total revenues increased 5.2 percentage points to 55.8% in fiscal 2014 from 50.6% in the prior year, primarily due to the rise in wholesale propane costs outpacing the rise in propane average selling prices during fiscal 2014.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses of $466.4 million for fiscal 2014 decreased $3.1 million, or 0.7%, compared to $469.5 million in the prior year, primarily due to synergies realized as a result of the continuing integration of Inergy Propane operations, which was offset to an extent by higher overtime and vehicle expenses attributable to harsh weather conditions during our fiscal 2014 heating season, as well as higher provisions for potential uncollectible accounts.  Operating expenses for fiscal 2014 included integration-related expenses of $8.1 million associated with the integration of the Inergy Propane operations compared to $4.6 million in the prior year.  In addition, fiscal 2013 included a $7.0 million charge related to our voluntary partial withdrawal from a multi-employer pension plan and full withdrawal from four multi-employer pension plans for certain employees acquired in the Inergy Propane Acquisition.  These charges were excluded from our calculation of Adjusted EBITDA below.

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General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses of $64.6 million for fiscal 2014 was relatively flat compared to the prior year.  General and administrative expenses for fiscal 2014 and 2013 included $4.2 million and $6.0 million, respectively, of professional services and other expenses associated with the integration of the Inergy Propane operations.  These items were excluded from our calculation of Adjusted EBITDA below.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization expense of $136.4 million in fiscal 2014 increased $6.0 million, primarily as a result of depreciation expense on buildings, vehicles and equipment taken out of service as a result of the integration of Inergy Propane operations.

Loss on Debt Extinguishment

On May 27, 2014, we repurchased and satisfied and discharged all of our 2018 Senior Notes with net proceeds from the issuance of the 2024 Senior Notes and cash on hand pursuant to a tender offer and redemption.  In connection with this tender offer and redemption, we recognized a loss on the extinguishment of debt of $11.6 million consisting of $31.6 million for the redemption premium and related fees, as well as the write-off of $5.3 million and ($25.3) million in unamortized debt origination costs and unamortized premium, respectively.

On August 2, 2013, we repurchased, pursuant to an optional redemption, $133.4 million of our 7.375% senior notes due August 1, 2021 using net proceeds from our May 2013 public offering and net proceeds from the underwriters’ exercise of their over-allotment option to purchase additional Common Units.  In addition, on August 6, 2013, we repurchased $23.9 million of our 2021 senior notes in a private transaction using cash on hand.  In connection with these repurchases, which totaled $157.3 million in aggregate principal amount, we recognized a loss on the extinguishment of debt of $2.1 million consisting of $11.7 million for the repurchase premium and related fees, as well as the write-off of $2.1 million and ($11.7) million in unamortized debt origination costs and unamortized premium, respectively.

Interest Expense, net

Net interest expense of $83.3 million for fiscal 2014 decreased $12.2 million compared to $95.4 million in the prior year, primarily due to the reduction of $157.3 million in long-term borrowings during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 and, to a lesser extent, the impact of the refinancing of our 7.5% Senior Notes due 2018 with 5.5% Senior Notes due 2024 completed during the third quarter of fiscal 2014.  See Liquidity and Capital Resources below for additional discussion.

Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA

Net income for fiscal 2014 amounted to $94.5 million, or $1.56 per Common Unit, compared to $78.8 million, or $1.35 per Common Unit, in fiscal 2013. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) for fiscal 2014 amounted to $314.9 million, compared to $305.2 million for fiscal 2013.

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Net income and EBITDA for fiscal 2014 included: (i) $12.3 million in expenses related to the ongoing integration of Inergy Propane and (ii) a loss on debt extinguishment of $11.6 million.  Net income and EBITDA for fiscal 2013 included: (i) $10.6 million in expenses related to the ongoing integration of Inergy Propane; (ii) $7.0 million in charges related to our voluntary withdrawal from multi-employer pension plans covering certain employees acquired in the Inergy Propane Acquisition; and (iii) a loss on debt extinguishment of $2.1 million.  Excluding the effects of these charges, as well as the unrealized (non-cash) mark-to-market adjustments on derivative instruments in both years, Adjusted EBITDA amounted to $338.5 million for fiscal 2014, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $329.3 million in fiscal 2013.

The following table sets forth our calculations of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Analysis of Cash Flows

Operating Activities. Net cash provided by operating activities for fiscal 2015 amounted to $324.2 million, an increase of $98.7 million compared to the prior year.  The increase was primarily attributable to a substantial decrease in working capital requirements as a result of the decline in wholesale costs on our inventory (average posted prices for propane and fuel oil for fiscal 2015 were 52.7% and 35.5% lower than the prior year, respectively), accounts receivable and accounts payable.

Investing Activities. Net cash used in investing activities of $36.0 million for fiscal 2015 consisted of capital expenditures of $41.2 million (including $19.4 million for maintenance expenditures and $21.8 million to support the growth of operations) and $6.5 million for the acquisition of a business, partially offset by $11.7 million in net proceeds from the sale of property, plant and equipment.  Net cash used in investing activities of $16.5 million for fiscal 2014 consisted of capital expenditures of $30.1 million (including $18.2 million for maintenance expenditures and $11.9 million to support the growth of operations), partially offset by the net proceeds of $13.5 million from the sale of property, plant and equipment.

Financing Activities. Net cash used in financing activities for fiscal 2015 of $228.5 million reflects the quarterly distribution to Common Unitholders at a rate of $0.8750 per Common Unit paid in respect of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 and the first quarter of fiscal 2015, and at a rate of $0.8875 per Common Unit paid in respect of the second and third quarters of fiscal 2015.  In addition, cash used in financing activities included proceeds of $250.0 million from the issuance of the 2025 Senior Notes in February 2015 which were used, along with cash on hand, to repurchase and satisfy and discharge all of the previously outstanding 2020 Senior Notes, as well as to pay tender premiums and other related fees of $11.1 million and debt issuance costs of $4.6 million, pursuant to a tender offer and redemption.

Net cash used in financing activities for fiscal 2014 of $223.6 million reflects the quarterly distribution to Common Unitholders at a rate of $0.8750 per Common Unit paid in respect of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 and the first, second and third quarters of fiscal 2014.  In addition, cash used in financing activities included proceeds of $525.0 million from the issuance of the 2024 Senior Notes in May 2014.  The net proceeds from the 2024 Senior Notes offering were used, along with cash on hand, to repurchase and satisfy and discharge all of the outstanding 2018 Senior Notes, as well as to pay tender premiums and other related fees of $31.6 million and debt issuance costs of $9.5 million, pursuant to a tender offer and redemption.

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Summary of Long-Term Debt Obligations and Revolving Credit Lines

As of September 26, 2015, our long-term debt consisted of $346.2 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.375% senior notes due August 1, 2021 (excluding unamortized premium of $19.9 million), $525.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.5% senior notes due June 1, 2024, $250.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.75% senior notes due March 1, 2025 and $100.0 million outstanding under our senior secured Revolving Credit Facility.

Senior Notes

2018 Senior Notes and 2021 Senior Notes

On August 1, 2012, we and our 100%-owned subsidiary, Suburban Energy Finance Corp., issued $496.6 million in aggregate principal amount of unregistered 7.5% senior notes due October 1, 2018 (the “2018 Senior Notes”) and $503.4 million in aggregate principal amount of unregistered 7.375% senior notes due August 1, 2021 (the “2021 Senior Notes”) in a private placement in connection with the Inergy Propane Acquisition.  Based on market rates for similar issues, the 2018 Senior Notes and 2021 Senior Notes were valued at 106.875% and 108.125%, respectively, of the principal amount, on the Acquisition Date as they were issued in exchange for Inergy’s outstanding notes, not for cash.  On December 19, 2012, we completed an offer to exchange our then-outstanding unregistered 7.5% senior notes due 2018 and 7.375% senior notes due 2021 for an equal principal amount of 7.5% senior notes due 2018 and 7.375% senior notes due 2021, respectively, that have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

On August 2, 2013, we repurchased, pursuant to optional redemption, $133.4 million of our 2021 Senior Notes using net proceeds from our May 2013 public offering and net proceeds from the underwriters’ exercise of their over-allotment option to purchase additional Common Units.  In addition, on August 6, 2013, we repurchased $23.9 million of our 2021 Senior Notes in a private transaction using cash on hand.  

On May 27, 2014, we repurchased and satisfied and discharged all of our 2018 Senior Notes with net proceeds from the issuance of the 2024 Senior Notes, as defined below, and cash on hand, pursuant to a tender offer and redemption during the third quarter of fiscal 2014.  In connection with this tender offer and redemption, we recognized a loss on the extinguishment of debt of $11.6 million consisting of $31.6 million for the redemption premium and related fees, as well as the write-off of $5.3 million and ($25.3) million in unamortized debt origination costs and unamortized premium, respectively.  The 2018 Senior Notes required semi-annual interest payments in April and October, and the 2021 Senior Notes require semi-annual interest payments in February and August.

The 2021 Senior Notes are redeemable, at our option, in whole or in part, at any time on or after August 1, 2016, in each case at the redemption prices described in the table below, together with any accrued and unpaid interest to date of the redemption.