Commitments, Environmental, Legal (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended		6 Months Ended				6 Months Ended																						6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013 T	Mar. 01, 2011	Jun. 30, 2013 DP&L [Member] T	Jun. 30, 2013 Electric Generation Company [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 DPLE and DPLER [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 MC Squared [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Beckjord Unit 6 [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Beckjord Unit 6 [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Hutchings Plant [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Hutchings Plant [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Coal Supply Agreements [Member] T	Jun. 30, 2013 Coal Supply Agreements [Member] DP&L [Member] T	Jun. 30, 2013 Debt Obligation on 4.9% Equity Ownership [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Debt Obligation on 4.9% Equity Ownership [Member] DP&L [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 First Mortgage Bonds Maturing in October 2013 - 5.125% [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 First Mortgage Bonds Maturing in October 2013 - 5.125% [Member] DP&L [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Pollution Control Series Maturing in January 2028 - 4.70% [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Pollution Control Series Maturing in January 2028 - 4.70% [Member] DP&L [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Pollution Control Series Maturing in January 2034 - 4.80% [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Pollution Control Series Maturing in January 2034 - 4.80% [Member] DP&L [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Pollution Control Series Maturing in September 2036 - 4.80% [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Pollution Control Series Maturing in September 2036 - 4.80% [Member] DP&L [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Government note maturing in February 2061 - 4.20% [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Government note maturing in February 2061 - 4.20% [Member] DP&L [Member]	Mar. 01, 2011 U.S. Government note maturing in February 2061 - 4.20% [Member] DP&L [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Note to DPL Capital Trust II Maturing in September 2031 - 8.125% [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Five Year Senior Unsecured Notes at 6.50% maturing on October 15, 2016 [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Ten Year Senior Unsecured Notes at 7.25% maturing at October 15, 2021 [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 NOx [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 NOx [Member] DP&L [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 SO2 [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 SO2 [Member] DP&L [Member]
Public Utility, Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Third party guarantees	$ 18,000,000				$ 17,800,000	$ 200,000
Due to third parties, current	600,000
Equity ownership interest			4.90%										4.90%
Equity ownership interest aggregate cost													77,300,000	77,300,000
Debt obligation				1,577,700,000
Long Term Debt Date Range Equity Ownership, Start			2018										2018
Long Term Debt Date Range Equity Ownership, End			2040										2040
Debt instrument interest percentage		4.20%													5.125%	5.125%	4.70%	4.70%	4.80%	4.80%	4.80%	4.80%	4.20%	4.20%	4.20%	8.125%	6.50%	7.25%
Environmental reserves	2,400,000		2,400,000
Percentage of coal-fire power plant holdings							50.00%	50.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Percentage of energy generated by coal	97.00%		97.00%
Emission Reductions																													54.00%	54.00%	73.00%	73.00%
Annual CO2 emissions generation at stations, in tons	14,000,000
Number of tons of CO2 emitted per year including electric generating units			14,000,000
CO2 tons per megawatt-hour for USEPA standard on new EGUs	1,000		1,000
Number of Auxiliary Boilers	7		7
Relief and civil penalties, per day	$ 27,500		$ 27,500
Coal supply failure by suppliers			570,000								1,500,000	1,500,000
Coal supply agreement, in tons												570,000