CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	[1]	$ 4,231,000,000	$ 260,000,000
Bad debt reserve		18,000,000	19,000,000
Accounts receivable		1,190,000,000	1,000,000,000
Prepaid expense and other current assets		192,000,000	241,000,000
Other Assets:
Regulatory assets		$ 1,967,000,000	$ 2,347,000,000
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)		501,197,784	431,044,845
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 335,000,000	$ 230,000,000
Accounts receivable		56,000,000	73,000,000
Prepaid expense and other current assets		34,000,000	35,000,000
Other Assets:
Regulatory assets		1,059,000,000	1,590,000,000
Houston Electric [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	[2]	335,000,000	238,000,000
Prepaid expense and other current assets		61,000,000	62,000,000
Other Assets:
Regulatory assets		1,124,000,000	1,570,000,000
Houston Electric [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		335,000,000	230,000,000
Bad debt reserve		1,000,000	1,000,000
Accounts receivable		56,000,000	73,000,000
Prepaid expense and other current assets		34,000,000	35,000,000
Other Assets:
Regulatory assets		1,059,000,000	1,590,000,000
CERC Corp [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		14,000,000	12,000,000
Bad debt reserve		17,000,000	18,000,000
Accounts receivable		894,000,000	713,000,000
Prepaid expense and other current assets		115,000,000	166,000,000
Other Assets:
Regulatory assets		$ 181,000,000	$ 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	$ 0.00
Preferred Stock, Liquidation Preference, Value		$ 800,000,000	$ 0
Cumulative preferred stock outstanding (in shares)		800,000	0
Series B Preferred Stock [Member]
Shareholders’ Equity:
Cumulative preferred stock par value (in dollars per share)		$ 0.01	$ 0.00
Preferred Stock, Liquidation Preference, Value		$ 977,500,000	$ 0
Cumulative preferred stock outstanding (in shares)		977,500	0

[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 $28 million, $2 million and $1 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, 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, 2018 and 2017 included $335 million and $230 million, respectively, of cash related to the Bond Companies. Houston Electric recorded interest income of $4 million, $2 million and $1 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, in Other, net on Houston Electric’s Statement of Consolidated Income.