Employee Benefit Plans

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2018

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Employee Benefits Plans [Text Block]

Employee Benefit Plans

CERC’s employees participate in CenterPoint Energy’s postretirement benefit plan. CERC’s net periodic cost, before considering amounts subject to overhead allocations for capital expenditure projects or for amounts subject to deferral for regulatory purposes, includes the following components relating to postretirement benefits:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2018		2017
	(in millions)
Interest cost (1)	$	1	$	1
Net periodic cost	$	1	$	1

(1) Included in Other, net in the Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income.

CERC expects to contribute approximately $5 million to the postretirement benefit plan in 2018, of which approximately $1 million was contributed during the three months ended March 31, 2018.