Other Income (Expense) - net (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	$ 9	$ 30		$ 30	$ 118
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	53	(7)		61	120
Other Income (Expense) - net	(44)	37		(31)	(2)
Extinguishment of notes [Abstract]
Interest rate on debt related to discontinuance of fair value hedge					7.125%
Economic Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	47	(11)		40	(11)
Charitable Contributions [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	1	2		7	7
WPD Midlands Acquisition Related Costs [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense					36
Foreign Currency Loss On 2011 Bridge Facility [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense					57	[1]
UK Stamp Duty Tax [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense					21
Miscellaneous Domestic Other Expense [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	4	2		12	7
Miscellaneous UK Other Expense [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	1			2	3
Earnings On Securities In Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Funds [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	5	2		17	20
Interest Income [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	1	1		4	5
Allowance For Funds Used During Construction Equity Component [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	2	2		7	5
Net Hedge Gains Associated With 2011 Bridge Facility [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income					55	[2]
Earnings Losses From Equity Method Investments [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	(1)	1		(7)	1
Gain On Redemption Of Debt [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income		22	[3]		22	[3]
Miscellaneous Domestic Other Income [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	3	2		8	9
Miscellaneous UK Other Income [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	(1)			1	1
PPL Energy Supply LLC [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	6	3		21	26
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	2	1		7	6
Other Income (Expense) - net	4	2		14	20
PPL Energy Supply LLC [Member] | Charitable Contributions [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	1	1		2	2
PPL Energy Supply LLC [Member] | Miscellaneous Domestic Other Expense [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other expense	1			5	4
PPL Energy Supply LLC [Member] | Earnings On Securities In Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Funds [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	5	2		17	20
PPL Energy Supply LLC [Member] | Interest Income [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income		1		1	1
PPL Energy Supply LLC [Member] | Miscellaneous Domestic Other Income [Member]
Other Income [Line Items]
Other income	1			3	5
PPL Electric Utilities Corp [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other Income (Expense) - net	3	3		6	4
LG And E And KU Energy LLC [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other Income (Expense) - net	(4)			(14)	(1)
Louisville Gas And Electric Co [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other Income (Expense) - net	(3)			(3)
Kentucky Utilities Co [Member]
Other Expense [Line Items]
Other Income (Expense) - net	$ 1			$ (5)	$ 1

[1] Represents a foreign currency loss related to the repayment of the 2011 Bridge Facility borrowing.

[2] Represents a gain on foreign currency contracts that hedged the repayment of the 2011 Bridge Facility borrowing.

[3] In July 2011, as a result of PPL Electric’s redemption of 7.125% Senior Secured Bonds due 2013, PPL recorded a gain on the accelerated amortization of the fair value adjustment to the debt recorded in connection with previously settled fair value hedges.