Segment Information - BHE (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue	$ 6,968	$ 6,193	$ 19,113	$ 15,332
Depreciation and amortization	960	800	2,834	2,357
Operating income	1,834	1,547	4,375	3,402
Interest expense	531	504	1,593	1,490
Capitalized interest	18	24	46	60
Allowance for equity funds	34	50	90	122
Interest and dividend income	18	17	65	57
Gains on marketable securities, net	294	1,797	1,142	2,407
Other, net	8	36	64	61
Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) and equity income (loss)	1,675	2,967	4,189	4,619
Total earnings on common shares	1,896	2,842	4,106	4,628
Assets	131,554		131,554		$ 127,316
PAC
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue	1,491	1,479	4,031	3,829
Depreciation and amortization	272	234	811	696
Operating income	394	361	911	851
Interest expense	110	107	322	319
Total earnings on common shares	333	286	728	629
Assets	28,230		28,230		26,862
MidAmerican Funding
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue	966	812	2,726	2,114
Depreciation and amortization	218	179	634	530
Operating income	287	232	438	444
Interest expense	81	79	237	238
Total earnings on common shares	373	337	728	695
Assets	25,038		25,038		23,530
NV Energy
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue	1,085	1,042	2,443	2,359
Depreciation and amortization	138	128	411	377
Operating income	348	347	563	587
Interest expense	51	56	154	171
Total earnings on common shares	282	249	416	367
Assets	15,105		15,105		14,501
Northern Powergrid
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue	277	246	857	733
Depreciation and amortization	73	69	217	195
Operating income	126	106	403	327
Interest expense	33	34	98	97
Total earnings on common shares	83	26	162	172
Assets	9,043		9,043		8,782
BHE Pipeline Group
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue	785	264	2,584	890
Depreciation and amortization	124	45	363	134
Operating income	303	101	1,166	442
Interest expense	33	15	111	44
Total earnings on common shares	144	78	627	321
Assets	19,993		19,993		19,541
BHE Transmission
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue	185	175	547	516
Depreciation and amortization	59	61	177	176
Operating income	90	79	256	236
Interest expense	39	38	117	111
Total earnings on common shares	65	58	184	173
Assets	9,383		9,383		9,208
BHE Renewables
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue	316	309	773	731
Depreciation and amortization	61	72	182	214
Operating income	149	143	279	244
Interest expense	39	41	119	125
Total earnings on common shares	163	162	360	395
Assets	11,766		11,766		12,004
HomeServices
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue	1,743	1,742	4,738	3,828
Depreciation and amortization	14	11	37	34
Operating income	135	239	426	336
Interest expense	1	1	3	9
Total earnings on common shares	102	177	321	246
Assets	5,065		5,065		4,955
BHE and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue	120	124	414	332
Depreciation and amortization	1	1	2	1
Operating income	2	(61)	(67)	(65)
Interest expense	144	133	432	376
Total earnings on common shares	351	1,469	580	1,630
Assets	7,931		7,931		$ 7,933
United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue	6,499	5,773	17,700	14,086
Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) and equity income (loss)	1,511	2,839	3,699	4,220
United Kingdom
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue	277	246	857	733
Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) and equity income (loss)	107	82	343	250
Canada
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue	180	174	537	512
Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) and equity income (loss)	49	44	134	130
Philippines and other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue	12	0	19	1
Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) and equity income (loss)	$ 8	$ 2	$ 13	$ 19