SEGMENT INFORMATION (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013		Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	$ 2,650		$ 2,383
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	100.00%		100.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	138		113
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	6		5
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	295		257
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	100.00%		100.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	178		117
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	10		12
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax	4		11
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	178		236
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	100.00%		100.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment	531		811
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment	100.00%		100.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	37,273				36,499	[1]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	100.00%				100.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	1,426				1,427
Losses reclassified between segments	4
S D G E Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	939		834
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	35.00%		35.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	48		36
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	1
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	134		112
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	45.00%		44.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	51		60
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	91	[2]	105	[2]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	51.00%		45.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment	237		398
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment	45.00%		49.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	14,852				14,744
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	40.00%				40.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenue	2		2
So Cal Gas Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	983		880
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	37.00%		37.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	17		17
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	100		87
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	34.00%		34.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	24		40
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	46	[2]	66	[2]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	26.00%		28.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment	179		165
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment	34.00%		20.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	9,223				9,071
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	24.00%				25.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenue	15		15
All Other Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	63		58
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	(1)		1
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	2		3
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	1.00%		1.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	35		(16)
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	(84)		(19)
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	(47.00%)		(8.00%)
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment			1
Segment reporting information, Assets	762				818
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	2.00%				2.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	126				134
Adjustments and Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues			(1)
Intercompany Eliminations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	(30)		(35)
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	(14)		(11)
Intersegment Revenues Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	(98)	[3]	(100)	[3]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	(4.00%)		(4.00%)
Intersegment Receivables Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Assets	(2,712)				(1,619)
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	(7.00%)				(4.00%)
Sempra South American Utilities Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	384		357
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	15.00%		15.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	7		10
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	5		4
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	15		13
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	5.00%		5.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	17		13
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax	(7)
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	37		40
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	21.00%		17.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment	22		19
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment	4.00%		2.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	3,669				3,310
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	10.00%				9.00%
Sempra Mexico Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	168		136
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	6.00%		6.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	2		3
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	1
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	16		16
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	5.00%		6.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	26		35
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax	11		11
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	31		33
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	17.00%		14.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment	61		5
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment	11.00%		1.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	3,314				2,591
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	9.00%				7.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	351				340
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenue	22		46
Sempra Renewables Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	21		8
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	1.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	8		4
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	3
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	8		3
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	3.00%		1.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(8)		(17)
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	1		1
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	4		10
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	2.00%		4.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment	6		201
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment	1.00%		25.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	2,194				2,439
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	6.00%				7.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	601				592
Sempra Natural Gas Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	253		269
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	10.00%		11.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	23		20
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	11		11
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	20		23
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	7.00%		9.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	33		2
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	9		11
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	53		1
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	30.00%		0.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment	26		22
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment	5.00%		3.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	5,971				5,145
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	16.00%				14.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	348				361
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenue	$ 59		$ 37

[1] Derived from audited financial statements.

[2] After preferred dividends.

[3] Revenues for reportable segments include intersegment revenues of: $2 million, $15 million, $22 million and $59 million for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and $2 million, $15 million, $46 million and $37 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012 for SDG&E, SoCalGas, Sempra Mexico and Sempra Natural Gas, respectively.