Contingencies and commitments - Narrative (Details)			1 Months Ended								2 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		10 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2023 USD ($) Cases	Jul. 29, 2022 a People Structure	Dec. 31, 2024 USD ($) Complaint Plaintiff	Oct. 31, 2024 USD ($) Trial Plaintiff	Sep. 30, 2024 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2024 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2024 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2023 Plaintiff	Nov. 30, 2021 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2020 a Wildfire Structure	Mar. 31, 2025 USD ($) Plaintiff	Oct. 31, 2024 USD ($) shares	Mar. 31, 2025 USD ($) Plaintiff Cases	Mar. 31, 2024 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2025 Plaintiff Complaint	Mar. 31, 2025 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($)
Pilot [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Remaining noncontrolling interests acquired							$ 2,600,000,000
BHE [Member] | Common Class B [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of shares exchanged | shares												2,291,631
Value of shares exchanged				$ 1,045,000,000.000								$ 1,045,000,000.000
Berkshire Hathaway Energy [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Percentage of outstanding common stock repurchased					5.85%
Consideration for repurchase of common stock held by noncontrolling shareholders					$ 2,900,000,000
Berkshire Hathaway Energy [Member] | Beachie Creek Fire [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of acres burned | a										193,000
Berkshire Hathaway Energy [Member] | South Obenchain Fire [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of acres burned | a										33,000
Berkshire Hathaway Energy [Member] | Echo Mountain Complex Fire [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of acres burned | a										3,000
Berkshire Hathaway Energy [Member] | 242 Fire [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of acres burned | a										14,000
Berkshire Hathaway Energy [Member] | HomeServices of America [Member] | Antitrust Cases [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, sought amount													$ 9,000,000,000
Number of cases | Cases													2
Berkshire Hathaway Energy [Member] | HomeServices of America [Member] | Antitrust Burnett Case [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value	$ 1,800,000,000
Legal settlements amount paid																$ 67,000,000
Litigation settlement, scheduled payments term						4 years
Settlement payments to be paid						$ 250,000,000
Number of cases | Cases	1
NICO [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency accrual					535,000,000
Net loss contingency accrual					490,000,000
Loss contingency recoverable from a third party, received					$ 45,000,000
PacifiCorp [Member] | Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Estimated pre-tax probable loss											$ 2,750,000,000		$ 2,750,000,000			2,750,000,000
Legal settlements amount paid													1,300,000,000
Unpaid estimated liability											$ 1,400,000,000		1,400,000,000			$ 1,400,000,000
Loss contingency accrual													0	$ 0
Insurance recoveries																	$ 530,000,000
PacifiCorp [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, sought amount													51,000,000,000
PacifiCorp [Member] | 2020 Wildfires, Economic and Noneconomic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, sought amount													$ 48,000,000,000
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
PacifiCorp [Member] | Beachie Creek Fire [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of fires caused | Wildfire										12
PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff															1,591
Number of additional plaintiffs | Plaintiff			8
Number of plaintiffs per trial | Plaintiff				10
Number of complaints | Complaint															6
Number of plaintiffs dismissed | Plaintiff															5
Number of additional complaints filed | Complaint			2
Number of additional damages phase trials | Trial				9
PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First Trial [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff								17
PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First and Second Trial [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value														$ 210,000,000
Multiplier used to determine economic and non-economic damages														0.25
Loss contingency, accrual interest rate														9.00%
PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First and Second Trial [Member] | Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value														$ 32,000,000
PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First and Second Trial [Member] | Non-Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value														147,000,000
PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First and Second Trial [Member] | Punitive Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value														$ 41,000,000
PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court Third Trial and Fourth [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff											15
PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court Third Trial and Fourth [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff													15
Loss contingency, sought amount													$ 97,000,000
PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court Third Trial and Fourth [Member] | Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, sought amount													13,000,000
Loss contingency, awarded value											$ 6,000,000
PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court Third Trial and Fourth [Member] | Non-Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value											$ 66,000,000
PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court Third Trial and Fourth [Member] | Punitive Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, sought amount													$ 18,000,000
PacifiCorp [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, sought amount			$ 900,000,000
PacifiCorp [Member] | Minimum [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
PacifiCorp [Member] | Minimum [Member] | 2022 Wildfire [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of acres aggregate of wildfire | a		60,000
PacifiCorp [Member] | Minimum [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, sought amount									$ 600,000,000
PacifiCorp [Member] | Minimum [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | Non-Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, sought amount									$ 1,000,000,000
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] | BHE [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Percentage of outstanding common stock repurchased				2.12%								2.12%