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Property, Plant and Equipment (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross $ 5,364us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross $ 4,815us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross  
Accumulated depreciation and amortization 1,554us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment 1,379us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment  
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net 3,810us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet 3,436us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet  
Depreciation expense 195us-gaap_Depreciation 218us-gaap_Depreciation 267us-gaap_Depreciation
Amortization expense 11us-gaap_AdjustmentForAmortization 12us-gaap_AdjustmentForAmortization 18us-gaap_AdjustmentForAmortization
Total depreciation and amortization expense 206us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization 230us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization 285us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization
Beginning balance 101us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation 135us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation  
Accretion expense 4us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationAccretionExpense 4us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationAccretionExpense  
Revisions in estimates of cash flows 34us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationRevisionOfEstimate (38)us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationRevisionOfEstimate  
Ending balance 139us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation 101us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation 135us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation
Natural Gas Distribution [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross 5,235us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= cerc_NaturalGasDistributionMember
4,694us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= cerc_NaturalGasDistributionMember
 
Accumulated depreciation and amortization 1,493us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= cerc_NaturalGasDistributionMember
1,324us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= cerc_NaturalGasDistributionMember
 
Natural Gas Distribution [Member] | Weighted Average [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life 33 years    
Energy Services [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross 84us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= cerc_EnergyServicesMember
82us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= cerc_EnergyServicesMember
 
Accumulated depreciation and amortization 31us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= cerc_EnergyServicesMember
28us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= cerc_EnergyServicesMember
 
Energy Services [Member] | Weighted Average [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life 27 years    
Other property [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross 45us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= cerc_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentOtherPropertyMember
39us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= cerc_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentOtherPropertyMember
 
Accumulated depreciation and amortization $ 30us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= cerc_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentOtherPropertyMember
$ 27us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= cerc_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentOtherPropertyMember
 
Other property [Member] | Weighted Average [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life 10 years