SEGMENT OF BUSINESS INFORMATION (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Electric Domestic Regulated Revenue									$ 2,446	$ 2,424	$ 2,367
Regulated and Unregulated Operating Revenue	1,123	1,038	908	1,107	1,036	1,092	1,000	1,281	4,176	4,409	4,601
Intersegment Revenue									0	0	0
Operating Income	212	238	171	238	208	215	142	248	859	813	768
Interest Expense									295	284	266
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization									356	346	335
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)									182	168	159
Segment Reporting Information, Net Assets	14,616				13,534				14,616	13,534	12,968
Regulated Operating Revenue, Gas									774	849	989
Income Available to Common Shareholders	105	122	72	121	98	105	56	128	420	387	376
Segment Assets	14,616				13,534				14,616	13,534
Additions to Other Assets, Amount									1,077	946	876
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	11				26				11	26	21
Electric Operations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intersegment Revenue									7	8	7
Operating Income										616	554
Interest Expense									21	23	22
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization										271	263
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)									7	5	(1)
Segment Assets					8,222					8,222	7,882
Additions to Other Assets, Amount										806	752
Gas Distribution
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Regulated and Unregulated Operating Revenue									764	840	979
Intersegment Revenue									1	1	1
Operating Income									141	132	140
Interest Expense									23	24	24
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization									67	65	63
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)									32	30	28
Segment Reporting Information, Net Assets	2,292								2,292
Segment Assets					2,179					2,179	2,161
Additions to Other Assets, Amount									123	140	107
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	26				12				26	12	11
Retail Gas Marketing
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Regulated and Unregulated Operating Revenue									413	479	553
Intersegment Revenue									0	0	0
Interest Expense									1	1	1
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization									3	3	4
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)									7	16	19
Segment Reporting Information, Net Assets	153								153
Income Available to Common Shareholders									11	24	31
Segment Assets					185					185	196
Additions to Other Assets, Amount									0	0	0
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	10				9				10	9	9
Energy Marketing
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Regulated and Unregulated Operating Revenue									543	657	692
Intersegment Revenue									125	188	182
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)									3	3	2
Segment Reporting Information, Net Assets	122								122
Income Available to Common Shareholders									5	4	4
Segment Assets					114					114	116
Additions to Other Assets, Amount									1	1	0
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	4				9				4	9	5
All Other [member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Regulated and Unregulated Operating Revenue									45	41	37
Intersegment Revenue									416	406	410
Operating Income									22	18	19
Interest Expense									3	3	3
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization									25	25	29
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)									15	10	10
Segment Reporting Information, Net Assets	1,415								1,415
Income Available to Common Shareholders									1	(6)	(6)
Segment Assets					1,377					1,377	1,322
Additions to Other Assets, Amount									14	17	41
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	17				17				17	17	18
Adjustments/Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Regulated and Unregulated Operating Revenue									(35)	(32)	(27)
Intersegment Revenue									(549)	(603)	(600)
Operating Income									28	47	55
Interest Expense									247	233	216
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization									(17)	(18)	(24)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)									118	104	101
Segment Reporting Information, Net Assets	1,645								1,645
Income Available to Common Shareholders									403	365	347
Segment Assets					1,457					1,457	1,291
Additions to Other Assets, Amount									(60)	(18)	(24)
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	(55)				(30)				(55)	(30)	(27)
SCE&G
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Electric Domestic Regulated Revenue									2,453	2,432	2,374
Regulated and Unregulated Operating Revenue									2,809	2,819	2,815
Regulated Operating Revenue	708	777	661	663	627	797	691	704	2,809	2,819	2,815
Operating Income	155	241	165	156	146	220	137	151	717	654	604
Interest Expense									211	204	186
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization									293	286	271
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)									157	140	130
Regulated Operating Revenue, Gas									356	387	441
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	67	129	76	69	62	117	59	68	341	306	290
Segment Assets	12,104				11,037				12,104	11,037	10,574
Additions to Other Assets, Amount									978	848	771
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	0				8				0	8	15
SCE&G | Electric Operations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income									668	616	554
Interest Expense									21		22
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization									278		263
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)									8,989		7,882
Additions to Other Assets, Amount									999		752
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	9				9				9	9	5
SCE&G | Gas Distribution
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Regulated and Unregulated Operating Revenue									356	387	441
Operating Income									49	40	52
Interest Expense									0	0	0
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization									25		22
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)									659		590
Additions to Other Assets, Amount									56		39
SCE&G | All Other [member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest Expense									190		164
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization									(10)		(14)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)									2,456		2,102
Additions to Other Assets, Amount									(77)		(20)
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	(9)				(1)				(9)	(1)	10
SCE&G | Adjustments/Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income										$ (2)	$ (2)