Document and Entity Information (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Feb. 15, 2013	Jun. 29, 2012
Entity Information [Line Items]
Document Type	10-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2012
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2012
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Trading Symbol	POM
Entity Registrant Name	PEPCO HOLDINGS INC
Entity Central Index Key	0001135971
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		230,073,469
Entity Public Float			$ 4,464,800,000
Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER CO
Entity Central Index Key	0000079732
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		100
Entity Public Float			0
Delmarva Power & Light Co/De [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	DELMARVA POWER & LIGHT CO /DE/
Entity Central Index Key	0000027879
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		1,000
Entity Public Float			0
Atlantic City Electric Co [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	ATLANTIC CITY ELECTRIC CO
Entity Central Index Key	0000008192
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		8,546,017
Entity Public Float			$ 0