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Related Party Transactions (Houston Electric and CERC) (Tables)
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Schedule of Money Pool Investment and Borrowing [Table Text Block]
The table below summarizes CenterPoint Energy money pool activity:
March 31, 2021December 31, 2020
Houston ElectricCERCHouston ElectricCERC
 (in millions, except interest rates)
Money pool investments (borrowings) (1)
$665 $— $(8)$— 
Weighted average interest rate
0.21 %0.21 %0.24 %0.24 %

(1)Included in Accounts and notes receivable (payable)–affiliated companies on Houston Electric’s and CERC’s respective Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Schedule of Related Party Transactions [Table Text Block]
CenterPoint Energy provides some corporate services to Houston Electric and CERC. The costs of services have been charged directly to Houston Electric and CERC using methods that management believes are reasonable. These methods include usage rates, dedicated asset assignment and proportionate corporate formulas based on operating expenses, assets, gross margin, employees and a composite of assets, gross margin and employees. Houston Electric provides certain services to CERC. These services are billed at actual cost, either directly or as an allocation and include fleet services, shop services, geographic services, surveying and right-of-way services, radio communications, data circuit management and field operations. Additionally, CERC provides certain services to Houston Electric. These services are billed at actual cost, either directly or as an allocation and include line locating and other miscellaneous services. These charges are not necessarily indicative of what would have been incurred had Houston Electric and CERC not been affiliates.

Amounts charged for these services were as follows and are included primarily in operation and maintenance expenses:
Three Months Ended March 31,
20212020
Houston ElectricCERCHouston ElectricCERC
(in millions)
Corporate service charges$43 $50 $49 $55 
Net affiliate service charges (billings)
(1)1 (6)6 

The table below presents transactions among Houston Electric, CERC and their parent, CenterPoint Energy.
Three Months Ended March 31,
20212020
Houston ElectricCERCHouston ElectricCERC
(in millions)
Cash dividends paid to parent$— $— $385 $32