Employee Benefit Plans

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]

Employee Benefit Plans

CenterPoint Houston’s employees participate in CenterPoint Energy’s postretirement benefit plan. CenterPoint Houston’s net periodic cost includes the following components relating to postretirement benefits:

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012			2013			2012			2013
	(in millions)
Interest cost	$	4		$	3		$	12		$	10
Expected return on plan assets	(2		)	(2		)	(5		)	(5		)
Amortization of loss	1			1			2			3
Amortization of transition obligation	2			2			5			4
Net periodic cost	$	5		$	4		$	14		$	12

CenterPoint Houston expects to contribute approximately $7 million to its postretirement benefit plan in 2013, of which $2 million and $6 million, respectively, was contributed during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013.