SEGMENT INFORMATION (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014		Sep. 30, 2013		Sep. 30, 2014		Sep. 30, 2013		Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue	$ 2,815		$ 2,551		$ 8,288		$ 7,852
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	100.00%		100.00%		100.00%		100.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	144		137		418		413
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	6		5		15		15
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	292		286		866		828
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	100.00%		100.00%		100.00%		100.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	71		117		291		327
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	22		3		62		21
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax	7		8		22		13
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	348		296		864		719
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	100.00%		100.00%		100.00%		100.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment					2,320		1,785
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					100.00%		100.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	38,982				38,982				37,244	[1]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	100.00%				100.00%				100.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	1,705				1,705				1,485
S D G E Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue	1,233		1,063		3,283		3,066
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	44.00%		42.00%		40.00%		39.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	51		50		152		147
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	0		0		0		1
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	134		126		395		367
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	46.00%		44.00%		46.00%		44.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	65		84		217		147
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	157		129	[2]	379		285	[2]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	45.00%		44.00%		44.00%		40.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment					790		679
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					34.00%		38.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	15,975				15,975				15,377
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	41.00%				41.00%				41.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenues	2		3		7		7
So Cal Gas Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue	855		807		2,857		2,694
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	30.00%		32.00%		35.00%		34.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	17		17		50		52
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	109		100		321		280
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	37.00%		35.00%		37.00%		34.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	44		38		110		107
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	98	[3]	102	[3]	256	[3]	266	[3]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	28.00%		34.00%		30.00%		37.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment					764		521
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					33.00%		29.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	9,954				9,954				9,147
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	26.00%				26.00%				25.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenues	17		17		51		48
Sempra South American Utilities Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue	379		364		1,147		1,119
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	14.00%		14.00%		14.00%		14.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	7		8		24		20
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	4		3		10		11
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	14		14		41		44
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	5.00%		5.00%		5.00%		5.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	26		16		59		50
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax	(2)		0		(4)		(14)
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	32		39		109		110
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	9.00%		13.00%		13.00%		15.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment					126		120
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					5.00%		7.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	3,463				3,463				3,531
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	9.00%				9.00%				10.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	(7)				(7)				(3)
Sempra Mexico Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue	234		188		621		519
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	8.00%		7.00%		7.00%		7.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	5		0		13		5
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	1		0		2		1
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	16		16		47		47
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	6.00%		5.00%		5.00%		6.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	13		16		37		44
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax	9		8		26		27
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	63		39		139		96
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	18.00%		13.00%		16.00%		13.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment					262		280
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					11.00%		16.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	3,404				3,404				3,246
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	9.00%				9.00%				9.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	427				427				379
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenues	23		23		68		68
Sempra Renewables Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue	10		25		25		76
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	0.00%		1.00%		0.00%		1.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	2		5		3		22
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	0		7		0		14
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	1		5		4		20
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	0.00%		2.00%		0.00%		3.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(16)		9		(35)		(8)
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	7		(10)		18		(12)
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	17		37		63		56
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	5.00%		13.00%		7.00%		8.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment					174		119
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					8.00%		7.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	1,379				1,379				1,219
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	3.00%				3.00%				3.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	871				871				707
Sempra Natural Gas Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue	252		212		748		683
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	9.00%		8.00%		9.00%		9.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	25		34		90		80
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	24		26		87		57
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	17		20		50		60
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	6.00%		7.00%		6.00%		7.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(31)		(4)		(22)		35
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	15		13		44		33
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	26		(7)		39		55
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	8.00%		(2.00%)		4.00%		8.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment					192		65
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					8.00%		3.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	6,617				6,617				7,200
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	17.00%				17.00%				19.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	342				342				329
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenues	107		65		266		180
Adjustments and Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue	1		0		(1)		(2)
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	0.00%		0.00%		0.00%		0.00%
Intercompany Eliminations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	(26)		(37)		(92)		(95)
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	(22)		(33)		(84)		(70)
Intersegment Revenues Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue	(149)		(108)		(392)		(303)
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	(5.00%)		(4.00%)		(5.00%)		(4.00%)
Intersegment Receivables Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Assets	(2,951)				(2,951)				(3,314)
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	(8.00%)				(8.00%)				(9.00%)
All Other Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	63		60		178		182
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	(1)		2		0		1
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	1		5		8		10
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	0.00%		2.00%		1.00%		1.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(30)		(42)		(75)		(48)
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	(45)		(43)		(121)		(149)
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	(13.00%)		(15.00%)		(14.00%)		(21.00%)
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment					12		1
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					1.00%		0.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	1,141				1,141				838
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	3.00%				3.00%				2.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	$ 72				$ 72				$ 73

[1] Derived from audited financial statements.

[2] After preferred dividends and call premium on preferred stock for 2013.

[3] After preferred dividends.