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Short Term Borrowings and Long Term Debt (Tables)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Schedule of Revolving Credit Facilities and Utilization of Such Facilities [Table Text Block] The Registrants had the following revolving credit facilities as of December 31, 2020:
Execution
Date 		RegistrantSize of
Facility
Draw Rate of LIBOR plus (1)
Financial Covenant Limit on Debt for Borrowed Money to Capital Ratio  
Debt for Borrowed Money to Capital
Ratio as of
December 31, 2020 (2)
Termination
Date
(in millions)
March 3, 2016CenterPoint Energy $3,300 1.500%65%(3)53.9%March 3, 2022
July 14, 2017
CenterPoint Energy (4)
400 1.125%65%49.7%July 14, 2022
March 3, 2016Houston Electric300 1.250%65%(3)53.1%March 3, 2022
March 3, 2016
CERC
900 1.125%65%48.9%March 3, 2022
Total$4,900 

(1)Based on credit ratings as of December 31, 2020.

(2)As defined in the revolving credit facility agreement, excluding Securitization Bonds.

(3)For CenterPoint Energy and Houston Electric, the financial covenant limit will temporarily increase from 65% to 70% if Houston Electric experiences damage from a natural disaster in its service territory and CenterPoint Energy certifies to the administrative agent that Houston Electric has incurred system restoration costs reasonably likely to exceed $100 million in a consecutive 12-month period, all or part of which Houston Electric intends to seek to recover through securitization financing. Such temporary increase in the financial covenant would be in effect from the date CenterPoint Energy delivers its certification until the earliest to occur of (i) the completion of the securitization financing, (ii) the first anniversary of CenterPoint Energy’s certification or (iii) the revocation of such certification.

(4)This credit facility was issued by VUHI, is guaranteed by SIGECO, Indiana Gas and VEDO and included a $10 million swing line sublimit and a $20 million letter of credit sublimit. This credit facility backstops VUHI’s commercial paper program.

On September 30, 2020, VCC terminated its $200 million credit agreement dated as of July 14, 2017 after determining that it was no longer necessary for financing purposes. VCC did not incur any penalties in connection with the early termination.

The Registrants, as well as the subsidiaries of CenterPoint Energy discussed above, were in compliance with all financial debt covenants as of December 31, 2020.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Registrants had the following revolving credit facilities and utilization of such facilities:
December 31, 2020December 31, 2019
RegistrantLoansLetters
of Credit		Commercial
Paper		Weighted Average Interest RateLoansLetters
of Credit		Commercial
Paper		Weighted Average Interest Rate
(in millions, except weighted average interest rate)
CenterPoint Energy (1)
$— $11 $1,078 0.23 %$— $6 $1,633 1.95 %
CenterPoint Energy (2)
— — 92 0.22 %— — 268 2.08 %
Houston Electric— — — — %— — — — %
CERC — — 347 0.23 %— 1 377 1.94 %
Total$— $11 $1,517 $— $7 $2,278 

(1)CenterPoint Energy’s outstanding commercial paper generally has maturities of 60 days or less.

(2)This credit facility was issued by VUHI and is guaranteed by SIGECO, Indiana Gas and VEDO.

On February 4, 2021, each of CenterPoint Energy, Houston Electric, CERC Corp. and VUHI replaced their existing revolving credit facilities with new amended and restated credit facilities. The size of the CenterPoint Energy facility decreased from $3.3 billion to $2.4 billion, while the sizes of the Houston Electric, CERC Corp. and VUHI facilities remained unchanged. The VUHI facility remains guaranteed by SIGECO, Indiana Gas and VEDO. Based on the credit ratings as of February 4, 2021, the draw rate would have been LIBOR plus 1.625% under the CenterPoint Energy facility, LIBOR plus 1.375% under the Houston Electric facility, LIBOR plus 1.250% under the CERC Corp. facility, and LIBOR plus 1.250% under the VUHI facility. Each credit facility contains provisions relating to the replacement of LIBOR.

The financial covenant limit on debt for borrowed money to capital ratio remained at 65.0% for each of the CenterPoint Energy, CERC Corp. and VUHI facilities and increased to 67.5% for the Houston Electric facility. As with the facilities that were replaced, the CenterPoint Energy and Houston Electric facilities’ financial covenant limit on debt for borrowed money to capital ratio can temporarily increase to 70.0% if Houston Electric experiences certain damages from a natural disaster in its service territory and CenterPoint Energy certifies to the administrative agent that Houston Electric has incurred system restoration costs reasonably likely to exceed $100 million in a consecutive 12-month period, all or part of which Houston Electric intends to seek to recover through securitization financing. Each of the amended and restated facilities have a maturity date of February 4, 2024.
Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt [Table Text Block]
Maturities. As of December 31, 2020, maturities of long-term debt, capital leases and sinking fund requirements, excluding the ZENS obligation and unamortized discounts, premiums and issuance costs, are as follows:
CenterPoint
Energy (1)
Houston
 Electric (1)
CERCSecuritization Bonds
(in millions)
2021$1,868 $613 $— $211 
20222,542 519 347 219 
2023713 356 300 156 
20241,184 162 — 162 
202551 — — — 

(1)These maturities include Securitization Bonds principal repayments on scheduled payment dates.