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Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]  
Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]
CenterPoint Houston is required to fund a portion of its obligations in accordance with rate orders. The net postretirement benefit cost includes the following components:
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2015
 
2014
 
2013
 
(in millions)
Service cost - benefits earned during the period
$
1

 
$
1

 
$
1

Interest cost on accumulated benefit obligation
13

 
14

 
13

Expected return on plan assets
(6
)
 
(6
)
 
(7
)
Amortization of transition obligation
—

 
4

 
6

Amortization of prior service credit
(2
)
 
(2
)
 
(1
)
Amortization of loss
3

 
1

 
4

Net postretirement benefit cost
$
9

 
$
12

 
$
16


CenterPoint Houston used the following assumptions to determine net postretirement benefit costs:
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2015
 
2014
 
2013
Discount rate
3.90
%
 
4.75
%
 
3.90
%
Expected return on plan assets
5.45
%
 
6.00
%
 
6.00
%
CenterPoint Houston expects to contribute $7 million to its postretirement benefits plan in 2016. The following benefit payments are expected to be paid by the postretirement benefit plan: 
 
Postretirement Benefit Plan
 
Benefit
Payments
 
Medicare
Subsidy Receipts
 
(in millions)
2016
$
20

 
$
(2
)
2017
21

 
(2
)
2018
22

 
(3
)
2019
23

 
(3
)
2020
24

 
(3
)
2021-2025
124

 
(19
)
Following are reconciliations of CenterPoint Houston’s beginning and ending balances of its postretirement benefit plan’s benefit obligation, plan assets and funded status for 2015 and 2014.  The measurement dates for plan assets and obligations were December 31, 2015 and 2014.
 
December 31,
 
2015
 
2014
 
(in millions)
Change in Benefit Obligation
 
 
 
Accumulated benefit obligation, beginning of year
$
347

 
$
311

Service cost
1

 
1

Interest cost
13

 
14

Benefits paid
(17
)
 
(18
)
Participant contributions
3

 
3

Medicare drug reimbursement
1

 
1

Plan amendment
(4
)
 
—

Actuarial (gain) loss
(61
)
 
35

Accumulated benefit obligation, end of year
$
283

 
$
347

Change in Plan Assets
 

 
 

Plan assets, beginning of year
$
115

 
$
114

Benefits paid
(17
)
 
(18
)
Employer contributions
9

 
9

Participant contributions
3

 
3

Actual investment return
—

 
7

Plan assets, end of year
$
110

 
$
115

Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheets
 

 
 

Other liabilities-benefit obligations
$
(173
)
 
$
(232
)
Net liability, end of year
$
(173
)
 
$
(232
)
Actuarial Assumptions
 

 
 

Discount rate
4.35
%
 
3.90
%
Expected long-term return on assets
5.00
%
 
5.45
%
Healthcare cost trend rate assumed for the next year - Pre 65
6.00
%
 
7.25
%
Healthcare cost trend rate assumed for the next year - Post 65
5.50
%
 
8.50
%
Prescription drug cost trend rate assumed for the next year
11.00
%
 
6.50
%
Rate to which the cost trend rate is assumed to decline (ultimate trend rate)
5.00
%
 
5.00
%
Year that the healthcare rate reaches the ultimate trend rate
2024

 
2024

Year that the prescription drug rate reaches the ultimate trend rate
2024

 
2024

As part of the investment strategy discussed above, CenterPoint Houston has adopted and maintained the following asset allocation ranges for its postretirement benefit plans:
U.S. equity
14–24%
International equity
3–13%
Fixed income
68–78%
Cash
0–2%
Schedule of a one-percent point change In Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates [Table Text Block]
Assumed healthcare cost trend rates have a significant effect on the reported amounts for CenterPoint Houston’s postretirement benefit plans. A 1% change in the assumed healthcare cost trend rate would have the following effects:
 
1%
Increase
 
1%
Decrease
 
(in millions)
Effect on the postretirement benefit obligation
$
9

 
$
8

Effect on total of service and interest cost
—

 
—
Schedule Of Fair Value Of Financial Assets For Pension And Postretirement Benefits [Text Block]
The following tables present by level, within the fair value hierarchy, CenterPoint Houston’s postretirement plan assets as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, by asset category as follows:
 
Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2015
 
Total
 
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
 
Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
 
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
(in millions)
Mutual funds (1)
$
110

 
$
110

 
$
—

 
$
—

Total
$
110

 
$
110

 
$
—

 
$
—


(1)
73% of the amount invested in mutual funds was in fixed income securities; 19% was in U.S. equities and 8% was in international equities.
 
Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2014
 
Total
 
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
 
Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
 
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
(in millions)
Mutual funds (1)
$
115

 
$
115

 
$
—

 
$
—

Total
$
115

 
$
115

 
$
—

 
$
—


(1)
73% of the amount invested in mutual funds was in fixed income securities; 19% was in U.S. equities and 8% was in international equities.