Contingencies and commitments - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions				1 Months Ended										3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		48 Months Ended
	Feb. 01, 2024 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2023 USD ($) Cases	Jul. 29, 2022 a Structure People	Oct. 31, 2024 Plaintiff Trial	Sep. 30, 2024 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2024 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2024 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2024 USD ($) Plaintiff	Jan. 31, 2024 USD ($) Plaintiff	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($) Trial	Jun. 30, 2023 USD ($) Wildfire	Apr. 30, 2023 Plaintiff	Sep. 30, 2020 a Structure	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2024 USD ($) Plaintiff Complaint	Sep. 30, 2024 USD ($) Cases	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2024 USD ($)
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, sought amount																$ 3,000
Estimated pre-tax probable loss					$ 2,700										$ 2,700	2,700		$ 2,700
Legal settlements amount paid																529		1,200
Unpaid estimated liability					1,450										1,450	1,450		1,450
Loss contingency accrual														$ 1,400		251	$ 1,900
Expected insurance recoveries					534					$ 257				$ 257	$ 534	534	$ 257	534
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | 2022 Wildfire [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of structures destroyed | Structure			185
Number of structures damaged | Structure			11
Number of injuries in wildfire | People			12
Number of fatalities in wildfire | People			4
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff												17			1,536
Number of complaints | Complaint															5
Number of wildfires associated to complaints | Wildfire											4
Loss contingency, sought amount																46,000
Loss contingency, awarded value									$ 92		$ 90
Multiplier used to determine economic and non-economic damages											0.25
Loss contingency, accrual interest rate									9.00%
Loss contingency, number of trials | Trial										3
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs per trial | Plaintiff				10
Number of additional damages phase trials | Trial				9
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | Commercial Timber Plaintiffs [Member] | Settled Litigation [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff								5
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value											$ 4
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | Non-Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value											68
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | Punitive Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value											$ 18
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First Trial [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff									9
Loss contingency, awarded value	$ 84						$ 80		$ 62
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First Trial [Member] | Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value	6								6
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First Trial [Member] | Non-Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value									$ 56
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First Trial [Member] | Punitive Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value	$ 16
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court Second Trial [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff								10
Loss contingency, awarded value						$ 38		$ 42
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court Second Trial [Member] | Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value								12
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court Second Trial [Member] | Noneconomic and Punitive Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value								$ 30
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | HomeServices of America [Member] | Antitrust Cases [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, sought amount																$ 9,000
Number of cases | Cases																2
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | HomeServices of America [Member] | Antitrust Burnett Case [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value		$ 1,800
Litigation settlement, scheduled payments term							4 years
Settlement payments to be paid							$ 250
Number of cases | Cases		1
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | Minimum [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of acres aggregate of wildfire | a													500,000
Number of structures destroyed | Structure													2,000
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | Minimum [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | 2022 Wildfire [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of acres aggregate of wildfire | a			60,000
NICO [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency accrual					535
Net loss contingency accrual					490
Loss contingency recoverable from a third party					$ 45										$ 45	$ 45		$ 45