Income Taxes (Components of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities) (Details) - THE DAYTON POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY [Member] - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Depreciation / property basis			$ (130.6)	$ (126.5)
Income taxes recoverable			25.0	11.0
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Regulatory Assets and Liabilities			(16.2)	(23.9)
Investment tax credit			0.5	0.4
Compensation and employee benefits			0.3	17.6
Other			(10.7)	(9.6)
Net non-current liabilities	$ (132.5)		$ (131.7)	$ (131.0)
Estimated Annual Effective Income Tax Rate, Continuing Operations	4.50%	17.10%	21.00%	35.00%
Increase (Decrease) in Income Taxes				$ (0.7)	$ 0.4

Deferred Tax Liabilities, Income Taxes Recoverable

No definition available.

Name:	dpl_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesIncomeTaxesRecoverable
Namespace Prefix:	dpl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

A ratio calculated by dividing the estimated amount of annual income tax expense attributable to continuing operations by GAAP-basis estimated annual pretax income from continuing operations.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dpl_EstimatedAnnualEffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Namespace Prefix:	dpl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

[Line Items] for Income Taxes [Table]

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dpl_IncomeTaxesLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	dpl_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, before allocation of valuation allowance, of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible tax credit carryforwards, classified as other.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32632-109319

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32621-109319

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32559-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsOther
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences from compensation and benefits costs.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32621-109319

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32632-109319

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 20
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115928272&loc=d3e28680-109314

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseCompensationAndBenefits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, after deferred tax asset, of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable differences, with jurisdictional netting and classified as noncurrent.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 9
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84176650&loc=d3e31958-109318

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84176650&loc=d3e31931-109318

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84176650&loc=d3e31917-109318

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences classified as other.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115928272&loc=d3e28680-109314

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32632-109319

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32621-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesOther
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences from property, plant, and equipment.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115928272&loc=d3e28680-109314

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32621-109319

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32632-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences from regulatory assets and liabilities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32632-109319

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115928272&loc=d3e28680-109314

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32621-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesRegulatoryAssetsAndLiabilities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The increase (decrease) during the reporting period in the amounts payable to taxing authorities for taxes that are based on the reporting entity's earnings, net of amounts receivable from taxing authorities for refunds of overpayments or recoveries of income taxes, and in deferred and other tax liabilities and assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3602-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInIncomeTaxes
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	srt_ConsolidatedEntitiesAxis=srt_SubsidiariesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: