Related Party Transactions (Houston Electric and CERC)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2023

Houston Electric and CERC participate in CenterPoint Energy’s money pool through which they can borrow or invest on a short-term basis. Funding needs are aggregated and external borrowing or investing is based on the net cash position. The net funding requirements of the CenterPoint Energy money pool are expected to be met with borrowings under CenterPoint Energy’s revolving credit facility or the sale of CenterPoint Energy’s commercial paper.

The table below summarizes CenterPoint Energy money pool activity:


	March 31, 2023						December 31, 2022
	Houston Electric			CERC			Houston Electric			CERC
	(in millions, except interest rates)
Money pool investments (borrowings) (1)	$	313		$	30		$	(642)		$	—
Weighted average interest rate	5.27		%	5.27		%	4.75		%	4.75		%

(1)Included in Accounts and notes receivable (payable)–affiliated companies on Houston Electric’s and CERC’s respective Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

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,
		2023		2022
				Houston Electric		CERC		Houston Electric		CERC
			(in millions)
Corporate service charges				$	35	$	50	$	39	$	58
Net affiliate service charges (billings)				(3)		3		(6)		6

The table below presents transactions among Houston Electric, CERC and their parent, CenterPoint Energy.


	Three Months Ended March 31,
		2023		2022
				Houston Electric		CERC		Houston Electric		CERC
			(in millions)
Cash dividends paid to parent				$	51	$	204	$	37	$	38
Cash dividend paid to parent related to the sale of the Arkansas and Oklahoma Natural Gas businesses				—		—		—		720
Cash contribution from parent				650		—		637		—

Non-cash capital contribution from parent in payment for property, plant and equipment below				—		—		38		54
Cash paid to parent for property, plant and equipment below				—		—		52		48
Property, plant and equipment from parent (1)				—		—		90		102

(1) Property, plant and equipment purchased from CenterPoint Energy at its net carrying value on the date of purchase.