Employee Benefit Plans Employee Benefit Plans

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]

Employee Benefit Plans

CERC’s employees participate in CenterPoint Energy’s postretirement benefit plan. CERC’s net periodic cost includes the following components relating to postretirement benefits:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2012		2013
	(in millions)
Interest cost on accumulated benefit obligation	1		1
Amortization of prior service cost	1		—
Amortization of loss	—		1
Net periodic cost	$	2	$	2

CERC expects to contribute approximately $8 million to its postretirement benefit plan in 2013, of which $2 million has been contributed as of March 31, 2013.