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Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]
The Registrants’ net periodic cost, before considering amounts subject to overhead allocations for capital expenditure projects or for amounts subject to deferral for regulatory purposes, includes the following components relating to pension and postretirement benefits:

Pension Benefits (CenterPoint Energy)
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2020201920202019
(in millions)
Service cost (1)
$10 $10 $32 $30 
Interest cost (2)
18 25 56 73 
Expected return on plan assets (2)
(28)(27)(85)(79)
Amortization of prior service cost (2)
— 2 — 6 
Amortization of net loss (2)
10 13 31 39 
Settlement cost (2) (3)
1 1 2 2 
Curtailment gain (2) (4)
— — — (1)
Net periodic cost$11 $24 $36 $70 

(1)Amounts presented in the table above are included in Operation and maintenance expense in CenterPoint Energy’s Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income, net of amounts capitalized and regulatory deferrals.

(2)Amounts presented in the table above are included in Other income (expense), net in CenterPoint Energy’s Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income, net of regulatory deferrals.

(3)A one-time, non-cash settlement cost is required when the total lump sum distributions or other settlements of plan benefit obligations during a plan year exceed the service cost and interest cost components of the net periodic cost for that year. In each of the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, CenterPoint Energy recognized non-cash settlement costs due to lump sum settlement payments from Vectren pension plans.
(4)A curtailment gain or loss is required when the expected future services of a significant number of employees are reduced or eliminated for the accrual of benefits. In the nine months ended September 30, 2019, CenterPoint Energy recognized a pension curtailment gain related to Vectren employees whose employment was terminated after the Merger closed.

Postretirement Benefits
Three Months Ended September 30,
20202019
CenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERCCenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERC
(in millions)
Service cost (1)$1 $— $1 $2 $— $— 
Interest cost (2)2 1 — 4 1 2 
Expected return on plan assets (2)(1)(1)(1)(3)(1)— 
Amortization of prior service cost (credit) (2)(1)(1)1 (1)(1)— 
Net periodic cost (income)$1 $(1)$1 $2 $(1)$2 
Nine Months Ended September 30,
20202019
CenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERCCenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERC
(in millions)
Service cost (1)$2 $— $1 $3 $— $1 
Interest cost (2)8 4 2 12 5 4 
Expected return on plan assets (2)(4)(3)(1)(6)(3)(1)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit) (2)(3)(4)1 (3)(4)— 
Net periodic cost (income)$3 $(3)$3 $6 $(2)$4 

(1)Amounts presented in the tables above are included in Operation and maintenance expense in each of the Registrants’ respective Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income, net of amounts capitalized and regulatory deferrals.

(2)Amounts presented in the tables above are included in Other income (expense), net in each of the Registrants’ respective Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income, net of regulatory deferrals.
Benefit Plan Contributions [Table Text Block]
The table below reflects the expected contributions to be made to the pension and postretirement benefit plans during 2020:
CenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERC
(in millions)
Expected minimum contribution to pension plans during 2020$84 $— $— 
Expected contribution to postretirement benefit plans in 202011 3 3 

The table below reflects the contributions made to the pension and postretirement benefit plans during 2020:
Three Months Ended September 30, 2020Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020
CenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERCCenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERC
(in millions)
Pension plans$79 $— $— $84 $— $— 
Postretirement benefit plans2 1 1 8 3 2