FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS 5 (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure			$ 1
Level 1
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure			1
Level 2
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure			0
Level 3
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure			0
Collateral Netted [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure			0
San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Preferred stock pending redemption	82		0	[1]
Carrying Amount
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure			12	[2]
Fair value of financial instruments, Total long-term debt	11,750	[3]	11,873	[3]
Preferred Stock Of Subsidiaries Fair Value Disclosure	20		99
Debt Instrument Unamortized Discount	15		16
Capital Lease Obligations	184		189
Commercial Paper Noncurrent			300
Carrying Amount | San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of financial instruments, Total long-term debt	4,402	[4]	4,135	[4]
Contingently Redeemable Preferred Stock Fair Value Disclosure			79	[2]
Debt Instrument Unamortized Discount	11		12
Capital Lease Obligations	181		185
Carrying Amount | Southern California Gas Company [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of financial instruments, Total long-term debt	1,413	[5]	1,413	[5]
Preferred Stock Fair Value Disclosure	22		22
Debt Instrument Unamortized Discount	4		4
Capital Lease Obligations	2		4
Fair Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure			36	[2]
Fair value of financial instruments, Total long-term debt	12,563	[3]	13,243	[3]
Preferred Stock Of Subsidiaries Fair Value Disclosure	21		107
Fair Value | Level 1
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure			0	[2]
Fair value of financial instruments, Total long-term debt	0	[3]	0	[3]
Preferred Stock Of Subsidiaries Fair Value Disclosure	0		0
Fair Value | Level 2
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure			0	[2]
Fair value of financial instruments, Total long-term debt	11,818	[3]	12,287	[3]
Preferred Stock Of Subsidiaries Fair Value Disclosure	21		107
Fair Value | Level 3
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure			36	[2]
Fair value of financial instruments, Total long-term debt	745	[3]	956	[3]
Preferred Stock Of Subsidiaries Fair Value Disclosure	0		0
Fair Value | San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of financial instruments, Total long-term debt	4,662	[4]	4,588	[4]
Contingently Redeemable Preferred Stock Fair Value Disclosure			85	[2]
Fair Value | San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member] | Level 1
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of financial instruments, Total long-term debt	0	[4]	0	[4]
Contingently Redeemable Preferred Stock Fair Value Disclosure			0	[2]
Fair Value | San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member] | Level 2
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of financial instruments, Total long-term debt	4,325	[4]	4,243	[4]
Contingently Redeemable Preferred Stock Fair Value Disclosure			85	[2]
Fair Value | San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member] | Level 3
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of financial instruments, Total long-term debt	337	[4]	345	[4]
Contingently Redeemable Preferred Stock Fair Value Disclosure			0	[2]
Fair Value | Southern California Gas Company [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of financial instruments, Total long-term debt	1,504	[5]	1,599	[5]
Preferred Stock Fair Value Disclosure	23		24
Fair Value | Southern California Gas Company [Member] | Level 1
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of financial instruments, Total long-term debt	0	[5]	0	[5]
Preferred Stock Of Subsidiaries Fair Value Disclosure	0		0
Fair Value | Southern California Gas Company [Member] | Level 2
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of financial instruments, Total long-term debt	1,504	[5]	1,599	[5]
Preferred Stock Fair Value Disclosure	23		24
Fair Value | Southern California Gas Company [Member] | Level 3
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of financial instruments, Total long-term debt	0	[5]	0	[5]
Preferred Stock Of Subsidiaries Fair Value Disclosure	$ 0		$ 0

[1] Derived from audited financial statements.

[2] On September 30, 2013, SDG&E announced that it would redeem all outstanding shares of its contingently redeemable preferred stock on October 15, 2013 for $82 million. See Note 5 for additional details.

[3] Before reductions for unamortized discount (net of premium) of $15 million at September 30, 2013 and $16 million at December 31, 2012, and excluding capital leases of $184 million at September 30, 2013 and $189 million at December 31, 2012, and commercial paper classified as long-term debt of $300 million at December 31, 2012. We discuss our long-term debt in Note 6 above and in Note 5 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the Annual Report.

[4] Before reductions for unamortized discount of $11 million at September 30, 2013 and $12 million at December 31, 2012, and excluding capital leases of $181 million at September 30, 2013 and $185 million at December 31, 2012.

[5] Before reductions for unamortized discount of $4 million at both September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, and excluding capital leases of $2 million at September 30, 2013 and $4 million at December 31, 2012.