CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	[1]	$ 241,000,000	$ 4,231,000,000
Bad debt reserve		21,000,000	18,000,000
Accounts receivable		1,249,000,000	1,190,000,000
Prepaid expense and other current assets		161,000,000	192,000,000
Other Assets:
Regulatory assets		$ 2,117,000,000	$ 1,967,000,000
Shareholders’ Equity:
Cumulative preferred stock par value (in dollars per share)		$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Cumulative preferred stock authorized (in shares)		20,000,000	20,000,000
Common stock par value (in dollars per share)		$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock authorized (in shares)		1,000,000,000	1,000,000,000
Common stock outstanding (in shares)		502,242,061	501,197,784
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 216,000,000	$ 335,000,000
Accounts receivable		26,000,000	56,000,000
Prepaid expense and other current assets		19,000,000	34,000,000
Other Assets:
Regulatory assets		788,000,000	1,059,000,000
Houston Electric [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	[2]	216,000,000	335,000,000
Prepaid expense and other current assets		49,000,000	61,000,000
Other Assets:
Regulatory assets		915,000,000	1,124,000,000
Houston Electric [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		216,000,000	335,000,000
Bad debt reserve		1,000,000	1,000,000
Accounts receivable		26,000,000	56,000,000
Prepaid expense and other current assets		19,000,000	34,000,000
Other Assets:
Regulatory assets		788,000,000	1,059,000,000
CERC Corp [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		2,000,000	14,000,000
Bad debt reserve		15,000,000	17,000,000
Accounts receivable		693,000,000	894,000,000
Prepaid expense and other current assets		44,000,000	115,000,000
Other Assets:
Regulatory assets		$ 191,000,000	$ 181,000,000
Cumulative Preferred Stock [Member]
Shareholders’ Equity:
Cumulative preferred stock par value (in dollars per share)		$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Cumulative preferred stock authorized (in shares)		20,000,000	20,000,000
Series A Preferred Stock [Member]
Shareholders’ Equity:
Cumulative preferred stock par value (in dollars per share)		$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred Stock, Liquidation Preference, Value		$ 800,000,000	$ 800,000,000
Cumulative preferred stock outstanding (in shares)		800,000	800,000
Series B Preferred Stock [Member]
Shareholders’ Equity:
Cumulative preferred stock par value (in dollars per share)		$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred Stock, Liquidation Preference, Value		$ 977,500,000	$ 977,500,000
Cumulative preferred stock outstanding (in shares)		977,500	977,500

[1] CenterPoint Energy’s Cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2018 included $3.9 billion of temporary investments resulting from the Merger financings. CenterPoint Energy recorded interest income of $22 million, $28 million and $2 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively, in Other, net on CenterPoint Energy’s Statements of Consolidated Income. See Notes 13 and 14 for further details related to the Merger financings.

[2] Houston Electric’s Cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 included $216 million and $335 million, respectively, of cash related to the Bond Companies. Houston Electric recorded interest income of $9 million, $4 million and $2 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively, in Other, net on Houston Electric’s Statement of Consolidated Income.