NATIONAL FUEL GAS CO

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Filed by the Registrant

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Filed by a Party other than the Registrant

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Check the appropriate box:

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

2026 Proxy Statement

National Fuel Gas Company

WILLIAMSVILLE, NEW YORK 14221

Dear Stockholders of National Fuel Gas Company:

Each year, our proxy statement provides you with a brief summary of the Company’s recent operations and detailed information relating to the items on the agenda for you to vote on at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders. As we did last year, our Board of Directors has determined to hold the 2026 Annual Meeting virtually, via a live webcast. The electronic webcast meeting will afford stockholders the same rights and access as if the meeting were held in person, including the ability to vote shares electronically during the meeting.

The meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on March 12, 2026, conducted via live webcast atwww.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/NFG2026. The matters on the agenda for the meeting are outlined in the enclosed Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement.

At the meeting, you will be asked to consider and vote on three proposals, all as explained in more detail in the proxy statement: (1) the election of eleven directors; (2) advisory approval of named executive officer compensation; and (3) ratification of the appointment of the Company’s independent public accounting firm. Your Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote FOR each of the director nominees and FOR proposals 2 and 3.

So that you may elect Company directors and secure the representation of your interests at the Annual Meeting, we urge you to vote your shares. The preferred methods of voting are by telephone, by Quick Response Code (“QR Code”) or by Internet as described on the proxy card. These methods are both convenient for you and reduce the expense of soliciting proxies for the Company. If you prefer not to vote by telephone, QR Code or the Internet, please complete, sign and date your proxy card and return it by mail. The Proxies are committed by law to vote your shares as you instruct on the proxy card, by telephone, by QR Code or by Internet.

Your vote is always important. Stockholder voting is the primary means by which stockholders can influence a company’s operations and its corporate governance. In fact, stockholders who do vote can influence the outcome of proposals in greater proportion than their percentage share ownership.

Please make your voice heard by voting your shares.

Even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting virtually, we encourage you to promptly vote your shares in advance of the meeting, by telephone, by QR Code or by Internet, or to complete, sign, date and return your proxy card. If you later wish to vote at the Annual Meeting, you can revoke your proxy by giving written notice to the Secretary of the Annual Meeting and/or the Trustee (as described in the proxy statement), and/or by casting your ballot at the Annual Meeting.

Please review the proxy statement and take advantage of your right to vote.

Sincerely yours,

David P. Bauer

President and Chief Executive Officer

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders

to be held on March 12, 2026

To the Stockholders of National Fuel Gas Company:

Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of National Fuel Gas Company (the “Company”) will be held at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on March 12, 2026, conducted via live webcast atwww.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/NFG2026. At the meeting, action will be taken with respect to:

and such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

Stockholders of record at the close of business on January 12, 2026, will be entitled to vote at the meeting.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lee E. Hartz

General Counsel and Secretary

Attending the Annual Meeting

National Fuel Gas Company is holding the Annual Meeting in a virtual meeting format only, conducted via live webcast. Stockholders will not be able to attend the meeting in person.

Please visitwww.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/NFG2026 in order to attend and to participate in the virtual meeting, where you will be prompted to enter the 16-digit control number found on your proxy card or your voting instruction form provided by your broker, bank, or other nominee.

If you receive your Annual Meeting materials electronically and wish to attend the virtual meeting, please follow the instructions provided online for attendance. Once you have joined the virtual meeting, you may vote your shares electronically during the meeting by following the instructions available on the meeting website, although we encourage you to vote in advance of the meeting. Only stockholders or their valid proxy holders may participate in the meeting. If you plan on attending the virtual meeting, we encourage you to allow ample time to log in online and recommend that you do so fifteen minutes before the meeting start time to ensure that you are logged in when the meeting begins.

Your Vote is Important

Please vote by telephone, by QR Code or by Internet.

Whether or not you plan to attend the meeting, and whatever the number of shares you own, please vote your shares by telephone, by QR Code or by Internet as described in the proxy/voting instruction card and reduce National Fuel Gas Company’s expense in soliciting proxies. Alternatively, you may complete, sign, date and promptly return the proxy/voting instruction card by mail.

Why Your Vote is Important

Q: Who is asking for my vote and why am I receiving this document?

A: The Board of Directors asks that you vote on the matters listed in the Notice of Annual Meeting, which are more fully described in this proxy statement. This proxy statement is a document that Securities and Exchange Commission regulations require we give you when we ask you to sign a proxy designating individuals to vote on your behalf. A proxy, if duly executed and not revoked, will be voted and, if it contains any specific instructions, will be voted in accordance with those instructions.

Q: How many shares are not voted at the Annual Meeting onnon-routine matters (proposals other than the ratification of accountant)?

A: At recent Annual Meetings, approximately 10% to 20% of our shares have not been voted onnon-routine matters. IF YOU HOLD YOUR SHARES AT A BROKERAGE FIRM, YOU MUST TELL YOUR BROKER HOW TO VOTE YOUR SHARES. Since 2010, brokers have not been able to vote customer shares onnon-routine matters. Stockholder voting is the primary means by which stockholders can influence a company’s operations and its corporate governance, so your vote is important.

Q: How can I vote?

A: To reduce costs and conserve resources, we send some of our stockholders a notice advising them that our materials for this meeting are available on the Internet. The notice contains instructions to (i) electronically access the materials; (ii) vote via the Internet; and (iii) request a paper copy of the materials by mail, if desired. Other stockholders have received our proxy materials by U.S. mail. In either case, there are four ways to vote by proxy:

You may also vote at the Annual Meeting. However, if you are the beneficial owner of the shares, you must obtain a legal proxy from the stockholder of record, usually your bank or broker. A legal proxy identifies you, states the number of shares you own, and gives you the right to vote those shares. Without a legal proxy we cannot identify you as the owner and will not know how many shares you have to vote.

To attend and vote at the Annual Meeting, you will need the 16-digit control number found on your proxy card or your voting instruction form provided by your broker, bank, or other nominee.

Please visitwww.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/NFG2026 on the date and at the time specified in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders. You will be prompted to enter your 16-digit control number to attend the meeting.