v2.4.1.9

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES - LEGAL PROCEEDINGS (Details) |  | 3 Months Ended | 36 Months Ended |  |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2015 San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member] USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2015 Southern California Gas Company [Member] USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2015 Loss from Catastrophes [Member] San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member] USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2015 Mobile Gas Litigation [Member] | Mar. 31, 2015 Liberty Gas Storage Litigation [Member] USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2015 R B S [Member] USD ($) | Oct. 01, 2014 R B S [Member] GBP (£) | Mar. 31, 2015 Rim Rock [Member] San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member] USD ($)
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency Accrual, at Carrying Value | $ 57,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualAtCarryingValue | $ 39,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualAtCarryingValue / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember | $ 12,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualAtCarryingValue / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments for Legal Settlements in April 2010, CPUC Proceedings |  |  |  | 14,750,000 us-gaap_PaymentsForLegalSettlements / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = us-gaap_LossFromCatastrophesMember |  |  |  |  |
Claims Payments By Insurers To All Claimants |  |  |  | 1,600,000,000 sre_ClaimsPaymentsByInsurersToAllClaimants / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = us-gaap_LossFromCatastrophesMember |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of Total Claims to be Paid by Company |  |  |  | 57.50%sre_PercentageOfClaimsPayments / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = us-gaap_LossFromCatastrophesMember |  |  |  |  |
Total Settled Claims |  |  |  | 1,300,000,000 sre_TotalSettledClaims / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = us-gaap_LossFromCatastrophesMember |  |  |  |  |
Total Remaining Settlement Demands |  |  |  | 60,000,000 sre_TotalRemainingSettlementDemands / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = us-gaap_LossFromCatastrophesMember |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency Number Of Plaintiffs |  |  |  | 6,500 us-gaap_LossContingencyNumberOfPlaintiffs / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = us-gaap_LossFromCatastrophesMember | 350 us-gaap_LossContingencyNumberOfPlaintiffs / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = sre_MobileGasLitigationMember |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Number Of Claims |  |  |  | 19,000 sre_LossContingencyNumberOfClaims / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = us-gaap_LossFromCatastrophesMember |  |  |  |  |
Liability Insurance Coverage, Maximum |  |  |  | 1,100,000,000 sre_LiabilityInsuranceCoverageMaximum / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = us-gaap_LossFromCatastrophesMember |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Settlement Amount, Gross, Recovered From Third Parties |  |  |  | 824,000,000 us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = us-gaap_LossFromCatastrophesMember |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency Monetary Damages Sought |  |  |  |  |  | 56,700,000 sre_LossContingencyMonetaryDamagesSought / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = sre_LibertyGasStorageLitigationMember |  |  |
Counterclaim For Damages On Contract Termination |  |  |  |  |  | 215,000,000 sre_EstimatedGainLossOnContractTermination / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = sre_LibertyGasStorageLitigationMember |  |  |
Payments For Legal Settlements In Excess Of Recovered Amounts |  |  |  | 493,000,000 sre_PaymentsForLegalSettlementsInExcessOfRecoveredAmounts / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = us-gaap_LossFromCatastrophesMember |  |  |  |  |
Regulatory Assets Arising From Wildfire Litigation Costs |  |  |  | 372,000,000 sre_RegulatoryAssetsArisingFromWildfireLitigationCosts / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = us-gaap_LossFromCatastrophesMember |  |  |  |  |
Potential After-Tax Charge for Nonrecovery of CPUC Regulatory Assets |  |  |  | 217,000,000 sre_PotentialAfterTaxEarningsImpact / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = us-gaap_LossFromCatastrophesMember |  |  |  |  |
Portion of Regulatory Assets Arising From Wildfire Litigation Related To CPUC Operations |  |  |  | 367,000,000 sre_PortionOfRegulatoryAssetsArisingFromWildfireLitigationRelatedToCpucOperations / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = us-gaap_LossFromCatastrophesMember |  |  |  |  |
Estimated Tax Equity Investment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 285,000,000 sre_EstimatedTaxEquityInvestment / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = sre_RimRockMember
VAT Tax Claim Paid Upon Appeal |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 86,000,000 sre_VatTaxClaimAmount / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = sre_RbsMember |
Investment in RBS Sempra Commodities LLP |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 71,000,000 sre_InvestmentInJointVenture / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = sre_RbsMember |  |
Loss Contingency, Number Of Lawsuits |  |  |  |  | 11 us-gaap_LossContingencyNewClaimsFiledNumber / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = sre_MobileGasLitigationMember |  |  |  |

X
- Definition Claims Payments By Insurers To All Claimants. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_ClaimsPaymentsByInsurersToAllClaimants
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Estimated Gain Loss On Contract Termination. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_EstimatedGainLossOnContractTermination
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Estimated Tax Equity Investment. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_EstimatedTaxEquityInvestment
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Investment in RBS Sempra Commodities LLP. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_InvestmentInJointVenture
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Liability Insurance Coverage, Maximum. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_LiabilityInsuranceCoverageMaximum
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Loss Contingency Monetary Damages Sought. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_LossContingencyMonetaryDamagesSought
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Loss Contingency, Number Of Claims. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_LossContingencyNumberOfClaims
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Payments For Legal Settlements In Excess Of Recovered Amounts. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_PaymentsForLegalSettlementsInExcessOfRecoveredAmounts
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Percentage of Total Claims to be Paid by Company. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_PercentageOfClaimsPayments
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Portion of Regulatory Assets Arising From Wildfire Litigation Related To CPUC Operations. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_PortionOfRegulatoryAssetsArisingFromWildfireLitigationRelatedToCpucOperations
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Potential After-Tax Earnings Impact. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_PotentialAfterTaxEarningsImpact
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Regulatory assets arising from wildfire litigation costs. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_RegulatoryAssetsArisingFromWildfireLitigationCosts
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Total Remaining Settlement Demands. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_TotalRemainingSettlementDemands
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Total Settled Claims. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_TotalSettledClaims
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition VAT Tax Claim Amount. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_VatTaxClaimAmount
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of judgment or settlement awarded to (against) the entity in respect of litigation. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingenciesLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of loss contingency liability. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualAtCarryingValue
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The total number of new claims filed pertaining to a loss contingency during the period. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14435-108349 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingencyNewClaimsFiledNumber
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Number of plaintiffs that have filed claims pertaining to a loss contingency. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingencyNumberOfPlaintiffs
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The amount of cash paid for the settlement of litigation or for other legal issues during the period. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 25 -Subparagraph (g) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3536-108585 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_PaymentsForLegalSettlements
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration