DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS 4 (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings	$ (11)		$ 3
Cash Flow Hedge Ineffectiveness	0		0
San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings	1		2
Cash Flow Hedges
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) reclassified from AOCI into earnings (effective portion)	(2)	[1]	(18)	[1]
Amount of pretax gain (loss) on derivative recognized in OCI (effective portion)	(97)	[1]	(26)	[1]
Cash Flow Hedges | Interest Expense | Interest Rate And Foreign Exchange Instruments [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) reclassified from AOCI into earnings (effective portion)	(6)	[2]	(3)	[2]
Amount of pretax gain (loss) on derivative recognized in OCI (effective portion)	(18)	[2]	(3)	[2]
Cash Flow Hedges | Interest Expense | Interest Rate Instruments | San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) reclassified from AOCI into earnings (effective portion)	(3)	[1],[2]	(3)	[1],[2]
Amount of pretax gain (loss) on derivative recognized in OCI (effective portion)	(5)	[1],[2]	(3)	[1],[2]
Cash Flow Hedges | Equity Earnings Before Income Tax [Member] | Interest Rate Instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) reclassified from AOCI into earnings (effective portion)	(3)		(3)
Amount of pretax gain (loss) on derivative recognized in OCI (effective portion)	(78)		(15)
Cash Flow Hedges | Revenues: Energy-Related Businesses [Member] | Commodity Contracts Not Subject To Rate Recovery
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) reclassified from AOCI into earnings (effective portion)	7		(10)
Amount of pretax gain (loss) on derivative recognized in OCI (effective portion)	(1)		(6)
Cash Flow Hedges | Gain on sale of equity interest [Member] | Interest Rate Instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) reclassified from AOCI into earnings (effective portion)	0		(2)
Amount of pretax gain (loss) on derivative recognized in OCI (effective portion)	0		(2)
Fair Value Hedges | Interest Rate Instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings	3	[3]	(1)	[3]
Fair Value Hedges | Interest Expense | Interest Rate Instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings	2		3
Fair Value Hedge Ineffectiveness	0		2
Fair Value Hedges | Other Income, Net | Interest Rate Instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings	1		(4)
Undesignated Derivatives
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings	(17)		7
Undesignated Derivatives | Equity Earnings Net Of Income Tax [Member] | Foregn Exchange Instrument
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings	(1)		(2)
Undesignated Derivatives | Revenues: Energy-Related Businesses [Member] | Commodity Contracts Not Subject To Rate Recovery
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings	3		(5)
Undesignated Derivatives | Cost of Electric Fuel and Purchased Power [Member] | Commodity Contracts Subject To Rate Recovery [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings	(20)		12
Undesignated Derivatives | Cost of Electric Fuel and Purchased Power [Member] | Commodity Contracts Subject To Rate Recovery [Member] | San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings	(20)		12
Undesignated Derivatives | Cost of Natural Gas [Member] | Commodity Contracts Subject To Rate Recovery [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings	1		2
Undesignated Derivatives | Cost of Natural Gas [Member] | Commodity Contracts Subject To Rate Recovery [Member] | Southern California Gas Company [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings	$ 1		$ 2

[1] There was a negligible amount of ineffectiveness related to these hedges in 2015 and 2014.

[2] Amounts include Otay Mesa VIE. All of SDG&E’s interest rate derivative activity relates to Otay Mesa VIE.

[3] There was no hedge ineffectiveness on these swaps in the three months ended March 31, 2015 and $2 million in the three months ended March 31, 2014. All other changes in the fair values of the interest rate swap agreements are exactly offset by changes in the fair value of the underlying long-term debt and recorded in Other Income, Net.