Contingencies and commitments - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions					1 Months Ended							3 Months Ended		27 Months Ended
	Feb. 13, 2024 Plaintiff	Feb. 01, 2024 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2023 USD ($) Cases	Jul. 29, 2022 a Structure People	May 06, 2024 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2024 USD ($) Plaintiff	Mar. 31, 2024 USD ($) Plaintiff	Jan. 31, 2024 USD ($) Plaintiff	Sep. 30, 2023 Trial	Jun. 30, 2023 USD ($) Plaintiff Wildfire	Sep. 30, 2020 a Structure	Mar. 31, 2024 USD ($) Cases	Mar. 31, 2023 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2024 USD ($)
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Estimated pre-tax probable loss							$ 2,400					$ 2,400		$ 2,400
Legal settlements amount paid														700
Unpaid estimated liability							$ 1,700					1,700		$ 1,700
Accrued losses													$ 400
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Wildfires [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Legal settlements amount paid					$ 52
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of wildfires associated to complaints | Wildfire										4
Loss contingency, sought amount												7,000
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Unpaid estimated liability					$ 23
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | 2022 Wildfire [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of acres aggregate of wildfire | a				60,000
Number of structures destroyed | Structure				185
Number of structures damaged | Structure				11
Number of injuries in wildfire | People				12
Number of fatalities in wildfire | People				4
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff						1,000
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case [Member] | Economic Damages [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, sought amount						$ 5,000
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case [Member] | Non-Economic Damages [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, sought amount						25,000
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Economic and Property Damages [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value										$ 4
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff	17									17
Loss contingency, awarded value								$ 92		$ 90
Multiplier used to determine economic and non-economic damages										0.25
Loss contingency, accrual interest rate								9.00%
Loss contingency, number of trials | Trial									3
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | Commercial Timber Plaintiffs [Member] | Settled Litigation [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff							5
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | Non-Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value										$ 68
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | Punitive Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value										$ 18
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First Trial [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff								9
Loss contingency, awarded value		$ 84						$ 62
Multiplier used to determine economic and non-economic damages								0.25
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First Trial [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value						$ 80
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First Trial [Member] | Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value		12						$ 6
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First Trial [Member] | Non-Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value								$ 56
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First Trial [Member] | Punitive Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value		$ 16
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court Second Trial [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff							10
Loss contingency, awarded value							$ 42
Multiplier used to determine economic and non-economic damages							0.25
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court Second Trial [Member] | Non-Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value							$ 23
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court Second Trial [Member] | Doubled Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value							12
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court Second Trial [Member] | Punitive Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value							$ 7
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff						1,000
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | HomeServices of America [Member] | Antitrust Cases [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, sought amount												$ 9,000
Loss contingency, awarded value			$ 1,800
Number of cases | Cases												2
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | HomeServices of America [Member] | Antitrust Cases [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation settlement, scheduled payments term						4 years
Unpaid estimated liability						$ 250
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | HomeServices of America [Member] | Antitrust Cases [Member] | Trial Commenced [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases | Cases			1
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | Minimum [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of acres aggregate of wildfire | a											500,000
Number of structures destroyed | Structure											2,000
Subsidiaries [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Percentage of subsidiary ownership							92.00%					92.00%		92.00%