Organizational Readiness/Risk Management

Organizational Readiness/Risk Management Cost Center 156269

Major activities/Cost Center Overview:

The organizational readiness/risk management cost center provides project support in the area of process change facilitation and documentation, organizational change readiness including stakeholder analysis, communication strategy and implementation, and project risk management governance & management.

In addition, the organization provides non-project ad-hoc support upon across organizational boundaries as requested, including support for Gas Operations & CEHE. Support usually consists of stakeholder analysis, communication strategy, and risk analysis. Also, team members often manage short-term initiatives that provide quick wins, such as communication and innovation initiatives (Gas Operations Leak Detection, Digital Transformation), special project management & facilitation (Smart Cities, Planning & Scheduling), and special projects (Mobility Center of Excellence, Vendor Security Risk Assessment).

Assignment method:

Costs are allocated to each Business Unit and Functional Area based on total TO O&M spend

Basis of assignment:

Total administrative budget is allocated based on total TO O&M spend

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TelephonyNolP Support Cost Center 156278


Labor and employee-related incurred costs associated with telephony activities. Staff are in direct support of the services to which the costs are allocated.

Assignment Method:

Fixed allocation to the following services: • Voice Services - Telecom Moves/Adds/Changes • Telephony VolP Services

Basis of Assignment:

Allocation is based on which resources (staff and tools) support the respective infrastructures.

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Business Resiliency & Data Center Mgmt. Cost Center 156280


Costs associated with business resiliency and data center management located at the EC/DC and AOC.

Assignment Method

Fixed allocation to the following services: • Mainframe CPU • LAN Client Specific • Unix Client Specific • SAP Infrastructure


Allocation is based on which resources (staff and tools) support the respective infrastructures.

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Technology Systems Management Cost Center 156282


This service includes management oversight of all the Technology Operations infrastructure. The Technology Systems Management is composed of three organizations:

Technology Systems Infrastructure and Operations; Telecom and Network Operations; and Technology Systems Control.

At a high level, Technology Systems Management is responsible for the monitoring, management and day-to-day operations of the CNP technology infrastructure and the associated governances.

Assignment method:

Fixed allocation to the following services: • Business Resiliency & Data Center Mgmt • Computing Platform • Enterprise System Control • LAN Services • Storage & Mainframe • Network Operations • Service Delivery Management • Systems Management and Automation • SAP System Support


Total budget is allocated based on staffing levels for the services and activities that are managed within Technology Systems

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Network Operations Cost Center 156283


Labor and employee related incurred costs for services such as: 24/7 implementation support, problem detection, diagnosis and resolution of issues, preventative and corrective planning and design, configuration creation and capacity planning. Develop installation plan and modifications plans. Staff is in direct support of the services to which the costs are allocated.

Assignment method:

Employees charging time directly to Capital WBS's as applicable

Fixed allocation to following services: • Business Technology Support Services • LAN Services • Enterprise infrastructure • Contact Center Technology • TelephonyNolP Services • Business Resiliency & Data Center Mgmt • Shared Services • Houston Electric • Houston Electric - AMS


Allocation is based on resources (staff and tools) supporting the enterprise infrastructure.

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Operational Performance & Capacity Planning Cost Center 156288


Operational Performance & Capacity Planning

Assignment method:

Fixed allocation to following services: • LAN Services • Mainframe CPU • Enterprise Infrastructure • LAN Client Specific • Unix Client Specific • Enterprise System Management Svcs • SAP Infrastructure


Allocation is based on which resources (staff and tools) support the respective infrastructures/services.

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DBA Support Cost Center 156289


This service provides 24/7 database administration support for enterprise applications that do not include the specific SAP databases.

Assignment method:

Fixed allocation to following services: • Mainframe CPU • HR • Legal • Regulatory • Finance • Houston Electric • Gas Operations


Allocation is based on which resources (staff and tools) support the respective business unit/functional area

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Enterprise System Management Svcs Cost Center 156290


This service provides proactive management of the enterprise TO environment including all systems, networks, and applications. The three areas of focus to accomplish this mission are Proactive Monitoring, Automation, and Second Level Support.

IBM ELA Software Maintenance for all System Management and Service Management products

Assignment Method:

Fixed allocation to the following services: • Mainframe CPU • Business Technology Support • SAP Infrastructure


Allocations are based upon the following: • Cost of maintenance for the products dedicated to the Business Technology Support service. • Devices monitored for desktop area. • Resources (staff and tools) dedicated to support the respective infrastructures.

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Network Desktop Data Device Cost Center 156293


Network Services provides network connectivity via an enterprise infrastructure for client workstations and other Internet Protocol (IP) devices. Network infrastructure components used to support desktop connectivity include routers, switches, and ups devices. In addition, this service provides: maintenance and installation for cabling systems extended to the client desktop, network access to the Wide Area Network infrastructure via VPN technology and leased circuits, and network access for all applications including Microsoft Outlook, the Internet, as well as Business Unit specific applications.

Assignment Method:

Fixed allocation to Business Technology Support


All activities are associated with Business Technology Support

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Computing Platform Cost Center 156294


This service provides technical support of mainframe and distributed computing. Included are the mainframe processors, operating system, related software, storage, UNIX/Linux platforms in addition to the backup and recovery of data. This service also includes system availability during non-maintenance hours by current SLA agreements. Disaster Recovery support is provided for mainframe and distributed applications.

Assignment Method:

Fixed allocation to the following services: • Infrastructure Storage • Unix Client Specific • Enterprise Infrastructure • Business Resiliency & Data Center Mgmt • SAP Infrastructure • Enterprise Systems Management


The above allocations depict the resource (personnel) requirements for enterprise operations by task, organization, and service.

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Systems Management and Automation Cost Center 156295


Systems Management and Automation provides Systems and Service Management product support and services to CNP. Systems Management and Automation - provides proactive management of all systems, networks, and applications. The three areas of focus to accomplish this mission are Proactive Monitoring, Automation, and Second Level Support.

Service Management — product development and support of all service management components and integration points (ADD) for ServiceNow

Assignment method:

Costs are allocated to each Business Unit and Functional Area based on total TO O&M spend.


Total budget is allocated based on total TO O&M spend.

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Service Delivery Management Cost Center 156296


Provide a TO Service portal that aligns the business needs of enterprise clients with delivery of information technology services and illustrate business value to it's clients. The Enterprise Service Delivery team will audit and report on TO service value, budget adherence, risk impact and communication effectiveness across major TO service support and delivery areas.

TO Service Support • Service Desk — provide a self service portal for TO services and a central point of contact between TO and its clients. The service portal

is a single point of entry for all TO service request • Develop and support Service Management processes and governance procedures. • Configuration Management — deliver a physical and logical perspective view of the TO infrastructure and the TO services being provided • TO Service Communication — present a consolidated view of TO service value through KPI reporting of Service Request, Change,

Release, Incident, Problem, and TO Asset Management

TO Set-I/ice Delivery • Availability Management — look for opportunities to optimize TO infrastructure capabilities, services, and support to minimize service

outages and provide sustained levels of service to meet business requirements • Service Level Management — report on the level of service agreed to and delivered to the organization • Financial Management for TO Services — report the costs associated with providing TO Services

Assignment method:

Costs are allocated to each Business Unit and Functional Area based on total TO O&M spend.


Total budget is allocated based on total TO O&M spend.

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TO Depreciation Cost Center 156297


Depreciation and return on for TO hardware, software, telecommunication and other assets.

Allocation Method:

Fixed allocation to TO services based on total incurred costs.

Basis of Allocation:

Total depreciation (with return-on) is calculated based on current assets and planned capital activity. It is allocated based on incurred costs for each service cost center.

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TO Allocation - BOS Cost Center 156298


Business & Operations Support overhead (including rent) billed to TO.

Assignment method:

The associated rent portion is a fixed allocation to TO services/programming cost centers based on planned headcount and employee location. All other costs are allocated to each Business Unit and Functional Area based on total TO O&M spend.


The associated rent portion is a fixed allocation to services/programming cost centers based on planned headcount and employee location. All other costs flow to Business Units and Functional Areas based on total TO O&M spend.

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TO Other Depreciation Cost Center 156299


Depreciation and return on for TO hardware, software, telecommunication and other assets directly associated with other Functional Areas other than TO (i.e. Finance, Human Resources, Communications, etc.)

Allocation Method:

Variable allocation to Business Units based on total O&M incurred costs going out on composite SKF.

Basis of Allocation:

Total depreciation (with return-on) is calculated based on current assets and planned capital activity. Variable allocation to Business Units based on total O&M incurred costs going out on composite SKF.

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CenterPoint Energy Service Company, LLC

Regulated Operations Cost Center Assignment Manual

2018

Regulated Operations

The Regulated Operations group was established to provide centralized services for CenterPoint Energy's Regulated Operations (CNP Houston Electric and CNP Gas Operations)

Cost Centers:

• 159002 Regulated Operations IT & SS • 159014 Regulated Operations Rents to Business Units • 159032 Regulated Operations Call Center Director • 159033 Regulated Operations Call Center - Houston . 159034 Regulated Operations Call Center Operations Manager • 159035 Regulated Operations Quality Assurance • 159036 Regulated Operations Call Center — IT & SS cross charges • 159037 Regulated Operations Division VP Customer Service • 159038 Regulated Operations Director of Customer Service Performance • 159039 Regulated Operations Customer Account Support — System Support . 159040 Regulated Operations VP Marketing & Sales • 159041 Regulated Operations Customer Service Technology • 159042 Regulated Operations Customer Service • 159043 Regulated Operations Customer Service Gas Support • 159044 Regulated Operations Claims • 159048 Regulated Operations Customer Service Process Improvement • 159049 Regulated Operations Customer Service Training . 159058 Regulated Operations Customer Care • 159069 Regulated Operations Sr. VP & Division President Gas Operations m

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The Regulated Operations group was established to provide centralized services for CenterPoint Energy's Regulated Operations (CNP Houston Electric and CNP Gas Operations)

Cost Centers:

• 159072 CEHE Issues Resolution • 159073 CS CEHE Support • 159074 EVP and President Electric Division • 159075 Service Delivery- MN Agents • 159076 Service Delivery- MN Support • 159077 Credit and Collections - Core Credit • 159078 Credit and Collections -Billing Controls • 159079 Credit and Collections — Reporting • 159081 Marketing Communications • 159082 Customer Bills • 159083 SVP and Chief Customer Officer • 159085 SGO Builders • 159086 Permits • 159087 C&I Customer Relations Management • 159088 Customer Billing • 159089 Meter to Cash Administration • 159090 Gas Sales and CIP Implementation • 159091 Customer Ops - Planning & Analytics • 159092 Customer Ops & HSP Analytics • 159093 Strategic Marketing -13 x

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Regulated Operations — IT & SS Cost Center 159002

Major Activities:

These costs include cross billings from other CNP Service Company functional areas: 1. Business Support Services: various services such as corporate travel, office supplies, records

management, freight, mail services, convenience copiers, etc. 2. Properties: rent for square footage occupied by the senior management for the regulated operations

organization 3. Information Technology: various services such as desktop, phones, mainframe usage, application support,

etc.

Assignment method:

Rent is billed to the senior management Regulated Operations cost centers based on actual labor dollars. All other cross charges are billed to the business units based on total Regulated Operations actual billings.


Based on a review of the activities of this cost center, services/costs are directly associated with the senior management of the Regulated Operations organization. Rent is assigned to the senior management Regulated Operations cost centers monthly based on labor dollars. All other cross charges are billed to the business units based on total Regulated Operations actual billings.

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Regulated Operations Rents to Business Units Cost Center 159014

Major Activities:

Costs are rents for square footage occupied by regulated operations employees that are assigned to regulated operations business units.

Assignment method:

Rent costs are allocated based on use of the services provided by the organizations occupying the square footage.


Costs in this cost center are rent charges for regulated operations employees providing services to various areas in regulated operations. The rent costs are allocated based on each business units proportional use of the services provided by the organization occupying the square footage.

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Regulated Operations Call Center Director Cost Center 159032

Major activities:

Oversees call centers for the company's regulated operations.

Assignment method:

Direct charges are tracked and charged directly to the applicable business unit. Assignable internal labor charges are billed directly to the applicable business unit. Assignable internal labor charges are billed as capitalized labor All other costs are assigned based on number of actual call minutes.


Activities of this cost center primarily relate to providing call center support for the company's regulated call center operations. Therefore, costs are assigned based on number of actual call minutes. The costs that are billed to capital are allocated to the SBU's based on two different statistical key figures: Permit Count or Builder Count, depending on how the time was spent.

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Regulated Operations Call Center Cost Center 159033

Major activities:

Call center for the company's regulated operations.

Assignment method:

Direct charges are tracked and charged directly to the applicable business unit. Assignable internal labor charges are billed directly to the applicable business unit. Assignable internal labor charges are billed as capitalized labor All other costs are assigned based on number of actual call minutes.


Activities of this cost center primarily relate to providing call center support for the company's regulated call center operations. Therefore, costs are assigned based on number of actual call minutes. The costs that are billed to capital are allocated to the SBU's based on two different statistical key figures: Permit Count or Builder Count, depending on how the time was spent.

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Regulated (Jperations Call Center Operations Manager Cost Center 159034

Major activities:

Oversees call center for the company's regulated operations.

Assignment method:

Direct charges are tracked and charged directly to the applicable business unit. Assignable internal labor charges are billed directly to the applicable business unit. All other costs are assigned based on number of actual call minutes.


Activities of this cost center primarily relate to providing call center support for the company's regulated call center operations. Therefore, costs are assigned based on number of actual call minutes.

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Regulated Operations Quality Assurance Cost Center 159035

Major activities:

Oversees training compliance and quality control for the call center and automated and online services for the company's regulated operations.

Assignment method:




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Regulated Operations Call Center IT & SS Cross Charges Cost Center 159036

Major Activities:

These costs include cross billings from other CNP Service Company functional areas: 1. Business Support Services: various services such as corporate travel, office supplies, records

management, freight, mail services, convenience copiers, etc. 2. Properties: rent for square footage occupied by the regulated operations organization 3. Information Technology: various services such as desktop, phones, mainframe usage, application support,

etc.

Assignment method:

Rent is billed to the Regulated Operations Call Center cost centers based on actual labor dollars. All other cross charges are billed to the business units based on total call center actual billings.


Based on a review of the activities of this cost center, services/costs are directly associated with the employees of the Regulated Operations Call Center organization. Rent is assigned to the call center cost centers monthly based on labor dollars. All other cross charges are billed to the business units based on total Regulated Operations actual billings.

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Regulated Operations Division VP of Customer Service Cost Center 159037

Major activities:

Oversees operations for the company's customer service organization for regulated operations by identifying, creating and maintaining common processes and strategic direction.

Assignment method:

Costs are assigned to the applicable business unit based on 2018 Planned Customer Count. Assignable internal labor charges are billed directly to the applicable business unit via Billable Hours.


Provides support and oversight of the entire customer experience through a variety of channels including phone, web and IVR. Therefore, costs are assigned to the SBUs based on planned customer count.

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Regulated Operations Director of Customer Service Performance

Cost Center 159038

Major activities:

Provides strategic support across self-service channels, process improvement for front and back office transactions, and customer vision support for the companys regulated operations.

Assignment method:

Costs are assigned to the applicable business unit based on 2018 Planned Customer Count. Assignable internal labor charges are billed directly to the applicable business unit via Billable Hours


Activities of this cost center primarily relate to providing broad customer service support for Gas and Electric operations. Therefore, costs are assigned based on planned customer count.

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Regulated Operations Customer Account Support - System Support Cost Center 159039

Major activities:

Supports the Call Center Operations.

Assignment method:




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Regulated Operations VP Marketing & Sales Cost Center 159040

Major activities:

Oversees regulated operations by identifying, creating, and maintaining common marketing and sales processes of the regulated affiliates.

Assignment method:

Direct charges are tracked and charged directly to the applicable business unit. Assignable internal labor charges are billed directly to the applicable business unit. All other costs are assigned based on Regulated Operations Composite Ratio Formula.


Activities of this cost center primarily relate to providing Executive oversight and support for the company's regulated marketing and sales operations. The costs incurred are by the service company on behalf of its regulated affiliates. Therefore, the costs are assigned based on Regulated Operations Composite Ratio Formula.

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Regulated Operations Customer Service Technology Cost Center 159041

Major activities:

Oversees technology purchases for the call center operations.

Assignment method:

Direct charges are tracked and charged directly to the applicable business unit. Assignable internal labor charges are billed directly to the applicable business unit. All other costs are assigned based on planned Customer Count.



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Regulated Operations Customer Service Cost Center 159042

Major activities:

Oversees call center operations for the for the company's regulated operations by identifying, creating and maintaining common processes and strategic direction.

Assignment method:



Activities of this cost center primarily relate to providing Executive oversight and call center support for the company's regulated call center operations. Therefore, costs are assigned based on number of actual call minutes.

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Regulated Operations - Customer Service Gas Support Cost Center 159043

Major activities:

Collects costs for the Gas Support team, which support CCS projects and enhancements.

Assignment method:



Activities of this cost center primarily relate to providing support for CCS projects and enhancements for all Gas operations. Therefore, costs are assigned to the Gas divisions based on 2018 Planned Customer Count .

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Regulated Operations - Claims Cost Center 159044

Major activities:

Labor, employee related expenses and other costs associated with researching and resolving third-party claims for damages against CenterPoint Energy.

Assignment method:

Direct costs are tracked and billed to the Business Units through a billable hour rate. All remaining amounts are cleared monthly based on planned activities.


The hourly rate is calculated by dividing annual budget by the number of hours available for billing. Hours are billed each month as directly attributable to each Business Unit. Any over/under cost recovery each month is allocated to Business Units in proportion to their annual planned billings.

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Regulated Operations Customer Service Process improvement

Cost Center 159048 III WM III MI • I

Major activities:

Supports process improvement initiatives across Gas and Electric operations.

Assignment method:



Activities of this cost center primarily relate to providing support for process improvement initiatives for Gas and Electric operations.. Therefore, costs are assigned based on the 2018 Plan customer count for each SBU.

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Regulated Operations — Customer Service Training Cost Center 159049

Major activities:

Customer Service Training initiatives - Gas/Electric.

Assignment method:



Activities of this cost center primarily relate to providing training for the company's regulated call center operations. Therefore, costs are assigned based on the 2018 Plan customer count for each SBU.

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Regulated Operations Customer Care Cost Center 159058

Major activities:

Leadership team (Director and managers) of the Customer Care group (Training, Quality Assurance and System Support) — Gas/Electric.

Assignment method:

Direct charges are tracked and charged directly to the applicable business unit. Assignable internal labor charges are billed directly to the applicable business unit. All other costs are assigned based on total customer count.


Activities of this cost center primarily relate to providing oversight to the Customer Care operations. Therefore, costs are assigned based on the 2018 Plan customer count for each SBU.

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Regulated Operations Sr. and Division Gas President Cost Center 159069

Major Activities:

Oversees regulated operations by identifying, creating, and maintaining common processes and strategic direction gas operations.

Assignment Method:

All costs are assigned to the gas divisions based on customer count and a fixed rate to Houston Electric based on a percentage of administrative and oversight costs.


Activities of this cost center primarily relate to providing Executive oversight and support for the company's gas operations. The costs are allocated out to the gas divisions based on customer count and a fixed rate to Houston Electric based on a percentage of administrative and oversight costs.

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Credit and Collections Cost Center 159071

Major activities:

Manages all Credit related functions, including Management of Receivables, Write-Offs and Bad Debt.

Assignment method:

Costs are assigned to the Gas Operations business unit based on 2018 Planned Customer Count.


All of the described credit and collections activities are in support of the Gas Operations SBU, and thus the allocations are based on 2018 Planned Gas Ops customer count.

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CEHE Issues Resolution Cost Center 159072

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Major activities:

The CEHE regulated contact center supports a consistent and multi-channel interaction, which enhances the customer experience by optimizing operational efficiencies, empowering people and leveraging technology to provide meaningful experiences to our employees and customers

Assignment method:

Assignable internal labor charges are billed as capitalized labor All other costs are allocated 100% to CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric (CEHE).


All activities in this cost center are in support of CEHE, and therefore 100% of the costs are allocated to CEHE. The costs that are billed to capital are allocated to the SBU's based on the Permit Count statistical key figure

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CS CEHE Support Cost Center 159073

Major activities:

Provides support to the customer service CEHE representatives fulfilling customer orders and requests.

Assignment method:

Costs are allocated 100% to CenterPoint Energy Electric


All of the activity within this cost center is in support of CenterPoint Electric, and therefore 100% of the costs are allocated the CEHE.

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EVP and President Electric Division Cost Center 159074

Major activities:

Oversees Electric operations by identifying, creating and maintaining common processes and strategic direction for CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric (CEHE).

Assignment method:

Costs are allocated 75% to CEHE and 25% to Gas Operations.


Activities of this cost center primarily relate to executive oversight over the CEHE operations. However the Regulatory and IT functions under this umbrella do provide support to Gas Operations. Therefore the split of 75/25 was determined the most rationale.

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Service Delivery- MN Agents Cost Center 159075

Major activities:

Collects costs for phone personnel and related costs to answering customer inquires and resolving issues.

Assignment method:

Costs are assigned to the Gas Operations business unit based actual monthly call center minutes.


This cost center houses costs for internal Minnesota call center agents. As part of the Unified Call Center initiative, these agents are now taking call for Southern Gas jurisdictions, and therefore the costs are being allocated to Gas Operations based on actual call minutes.

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Service Delivery- MN Support Cost Center 159076

Major activities:

Collects costs for the Call Center and service delivery support, including supervisors, managers directors and non-exempt employees.

Assignment method:

Costs are assigned to the Gas Operations business unit based actual monthly call center minutes.


This cost center houses costs for internal Minnesota call center support. As part of the Unified Call Center initiative, this function now also supports Southern Gas jurisdictions, and therefore the costs are being allocated to Gas Operations based on actual call minutes.

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Credit and Collections - Core Credit Cost Center 159077

Major activities:

Includes oversight of the Credit and Collections organization: Developing goals, executing strategies, setting credit and collections policy, and aligning departmental initiatives with Customer Service organizational goals and strategies.

Assignment method:



Costs are in support of the Gas Operations business unit and are assigned to the Gas divisions based on 2018 Planned Customer Count .

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Credit and Collections -Billing Controls Cost Center 159078

Major activities:

Collects costs for the Gas Support team, which support CCS projects and enhancements.

Assignment method:




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Credit and Collections - Reporting Cost Center 159079

Major activities:

Reporting results of collections activities, employee and departmental scorecards, and performing analytics on bad debt drivers.

Assignment method:




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Marketing Communications Cost Center 159081

Major activities:

Oversight of all Marketing Communication functions, including web channel, competitive marketing communications, advertising and promotions, and digital communications.

Assignment method:

Costs are assigned to the CEHE and Gas Operations business units based on 2018 Planned Customer Count.


The major activities in this cost center are in support of both the Gas and CEHE regulated businesses, and therefore it allocates to these SBU's based on 2018 Planned Customer Count.

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Customer Bills Cost Center 159082

Major activities:

Responsible for printing and mailing of all invoices and correspondences for Gas Operations.

Assignment method:



The cost and activities related to this cost center are in support of Gas Operations, and therefore are allocated to the Gas Ops jurisdictions based on Customer Count.

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SVP and Chief Customer Officer Cost Center 159083

Major activities:

Oversees operations for the company's Customer Operations, including Customer Service, Energy Solutions, Marketing Strategy & Communications, and Claims & Damage Investigation.

Assignment method:




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SGO Builders Cost Center 159085

Major activities:

This cost center is used to capture the billed labor of Call Center representatives that is associated with new builder permits for Gas Operations.

Assignment method:

Labor hours are billed into this cost center by Call Center representatives who spend time handling calls related to new builder permits for both Gas Operations. The hours are tracked and billed into this cost center on a monthly basis.


Each month the number of Builder permits is entered for each Gas jurisdiction is tracked and loaded into SAP as a statistical key figure (BUILD). The costs are then allocated from this cost center to designated Construction Overhead Internal Orders for each jurisdiction. Costs are allocated into the internal orders on secondary cost element 642074 — Construction OH.

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Permits Cost Center 159086

Major activities:

This cost center is used to capture the billed labor of Call Center representatives that is associated with new construction permits for Gas Operations and CenterPoint Electric.

Assignment method:

Labor hours are billed into this cost center by Call Center representatives who spend time handling calls related to new construction permits for both Gas Operations and CEHE. The hours are tracked and billed into this cost center on a monthly basis.


Each month the number of Permits entered by business unit (Gas Ops and Electric) and jurisdiction is tracked and loaded into SAP as a statistical key figure. The costs are then allocated from this cost center to designated Construction Overhead Internal Orders for each jurisdiction. Costs are allocated into the internal orders on secondary cost element 642074 — Construction OH.

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c&I Customer Relations Management Cost Center 159087

Major activities:

Manages and coordinates activities associated with the development, strengthening and enhancement of CenterPoint Energy enterprise-wide relationships with key customers.

Assignment method:




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Customer Billing Cost Center 159088

Major activities:

Responsible for tax exemption, special billing, regional structure and billing controls for Gas Operations

Assignment method:



The cost and activities related to this cost center are in support of Gas Operations, and therefore are allocated to the Gas Ops jurisdictions based on Customer Count.

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Gas Sales & CIP Implementation Cost Center 159090

Major activities:

This cost center provides administrative support over the Gas Growth and Sales functions within Energy Solutions, as well as activities related to our the research and implementation of our Conservation Investment Program (CIP) activities.

Assignment method:

Costs are allocated to rebill cost center 159464 — Gas Sales & CIP Implementation which allocates to both regional CIP cost centers and Gas jurisdictional internal orders based on an annual time study.


The cost and activities related to this cost center support specific programs and activities across Gas Operations, and the costs are allocated based on the estimated time spent supporting each of those areas.

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Customer Ops Planning & Analytics Cost Center 159091

Major activities:

Manages and coordinate activities associated with analytical and reporting processes, and marketing and performance analytics around the Customer Operations organization

Assignment method:




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Customer Ops & HSP Analytics Cost Center 159092

Major activities:

Manages and coordinates activities associated with the development, strengthening and enhancement of CenterPoint Energy enterprise-wide relationships with key customers.

Assignment method:




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Strategic Marketing Cost Center 159093

Major activities:

Manages and coordinates activities related to the development and execution of marketing strategies and tactics which support company growth, energy efficiency, operational expense reduction, and customer experience initiatives.

Assignment method:




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Digital Moves Cost Center 159094

Major activities:

Tracks expenses related to the Digital Move process that is conducted via the TrueCost Portal, in support of the southern gas jurisdictions (SGO).

Assignment method:

Costs are assigned to Gas Operations business unit (excluding Minnesota) based on Actual monthly Digital Order counts for each SGO jurisdiction.


The major activities in this cost center are in support of the Southern Gas regulated businesses, and therefore it allocates to these jurisdictions based on actual monthly Digital Order counts.

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Page 43

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES & COMPLIANCE Cost Center 125036


• General activities and cost incurred by the Environmental Services Office such as salary of the Environmental Services Director.

• Management oversight of CEHE Environmental Services staff and operations. • Management oversight of Gas Operations Evironmental Services staff and operations. • Environmental Programs Manager support and oversight of Environemntal projects not managed directly by CEHE

and Gas Operations, including legacy sites, federal/state superfund sites, and environmental litigation.

Assignment method:

Direct charges are tracked and charged directly to the applicable business unit \ project. Assignable internal labor charges are billed directly to the applicable business unit \ project. All other costs are allocation based on the managed headcount and hours spent overseeing the various Environmental reporting functions.


The majority of the costs incurred by this cost center are labor related. Costs not specifically incurred for projects are allocated based on the time spent managing environmental compliance activities which support all the business units and management oversight of the each business unifs environmental operations.

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Exhibit MMT-6 Page 1 of 25

1359

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric The following CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric cost centers allocated to other affiliates:

Cost Centers 101159 SEC Operations Center 101218 AMS Metering 101355 Fleet Fuel/Pool 101372 Fleet S/C Garage 101374 Fleet Central Garage 101391 Radio Communications 101725 Land and Field Services Manager 101726 GIS DM Conflation 101728 GIS Technical Support 101765 Engineering Standards and Materials 101770 Substation Projects 101771 SSP Engineering 101773 System Protection 101776 Surveying Manager 101782 Underground Locating Admin 101784 Telecom Network 101973 Contractor Public Safety 101975 Compliance Training 101976 Reg Comp Training 101977 Coordination and Records Training

cs.) 101978 Contractor Safety ci) o 101979 Director Training and Development 101983 Instructional Development

Page 2

SEC Operations Center Cost Center 101159

Major Activities/Cost Center Overview:

Central monitoring for 24 hour, 365 day service monitoring CCTV, alarms, and card access operations.

Assignment method: All costs are assigned based on number of security devices.

Basis of assignment: Central monitoring rate is based on the operational costs divided by the total number of security devices for 24 hour, 365 day service monitoring CCTV, alarms, and card access operations. The number of security devices of each client multiplied by rate is billed each month.

Page 3

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AMS Metering Cost Center 101218

Major Activities/Cost Center Overview: Used for tracking labor and associated cost for Analyst support for AMS meters and quality assurance and upgrade support for AMS meters under Metering in Distribution.

Assignment method:

Time entry is used to attribute man-hours to support the Vectren integration process.


The hourly rate is calculated by dividing the total regular pay, STI and Burden by the number of productive hours.

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Fleet Fuel/Pool Cost Center 101355

Major Activities: All fueling activities, maintenance on fueling islands, and Fuel Force software renewals.

Assignment Method:

All costs are assigned based on the cost to upkeep vehicles assigned to individual cost centers across the company.


Allocations are based on the cost of fuel, maintenance, repairs, and depreciation expense of each vehicle across the company.

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Fleet S/C Garage Cost Center 101372

Major Activities: Perform maintenance of fleet vehicles and equipment.

Assignment Method:




Page 6

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Fleet Central Garage Cost Center 101374

Major Activities: Perform preventative maintenance and repairs on fleet vehicles.

Assignment Method:




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Page 7

Radio Communications Cost Center 101391


• Smart grid field support for Itron cell relays and GE WiMax radios and other Smart Grid radio equipment

• Investigate and locate the source of radio frequency interference (RFI) • Clerical support daily operations including trouble tickets to Field Techs, support equipment

maintenance authorizations, project tracking • Management of voice and mobile data radio operations, including vehicle radio installation,

system maintenance and technical support • Radio capacitor control system transmitter operations

Assignment method: Time entry is used to attribute Project man-hours to support each project

Basis of assignment: The hourly rate is calculated by dividing the total regular pay, STI and Burden by the number of productive hours.

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Page 8

Land and Field Services Manager Cost Center 101725

Major Activities:

• Provide management oversight of the following functional areas: Surveying and Right of Way department.

• Budgeting and planning coordination and support, support of Company land acquisitions and sales

Assignment Method:

All costs are assigned based on the number of employees.


Allocations are based on the number of employees supported

Page 9

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GIS DM Conflation Cost Center 101726

Major Activities: Conflation charges related to data cleanup for realigning the GIS gas data for spatial accuracy to support Picarro and Tracking and Traceability Projects. This is a three year project, 2019 is the final year. The primary scope for this project is to conflate CNP's existing gas facilities and landbase data currently residing in ESRI ArcGIS version 10.2.1. Into our GIS system.

Assignment Method:

All costs are assigned based on gas facility miles for each gas region.


Allocations are based on gas facility miles for each gas region.

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Page 10

GIS Technical Support Cost Center 101728

Major Activities:

Develops and oversees the GIS system architecture and maintains all spatial databases, application servers, file servers and web servers related to GIS.

Assignment Method:

All costs are assigned based on the number of GIS licenses.


Allocations are fixed planned percentages based on the number of GIS licenses across the company.

Page 11

Engineering Standards and Materials Cost Center 101765

Major Activities: Evaluates, reviews, and approves all distribution, transmission, and substation materials. ESM also creates design and construction standards and specifications. Costs for this group involves trips for inspection of manufacturing facilities and design review meetings, as well as training events.

Assignment Method:

Direct billings associated with the number of hours worked on the EMP mitigation technology project. CEHE engineers have developed the EMP Module, to shield critical electric distribution substation infrastructure from potential Electromagnetic Magnetic Pulse (EMP) threats.


Allocations are based on number of hours worked on the EMP mitigation technology project.

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Page 12

Substation Projects Cost Center 101770

Major Activities: Costs associated with the management and related costs for Substation engineering. This includes costs for hardware and software as well as other equipment to support the substation engineering function.

Assignment Method:

Direct billings associated with the number of hours worked on the EMP mitigation technology project. CEHE engineers have developed the EMP Module, to shield critical electric distribution substation infrastructure from potential Electromagnetic Magnetic Pulse (EMP) threats.



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SSP Engineering Cost Center 101771

Major Activities: Costs associated with substation engineering including labor (internal and external), material, training and other employee related expenses.

Assignment Method: Direct billings associated with the number of hours worked on the EMP mitigation technology project. CEHE engineers have developed the EMP Module, to shield critical electric distribution substation infrastructure from potential Electromagnetic Magnetic Pulse (EMP) threats.



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System Protection Cost Center 101773

Major Activities: Provides electrical engineering support to projects related to relaying, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), and automation in substations and along distribution feeders.

Assignment Method: Direct billings associated with the number of hours worked on the EMP mitigation technology project. CEHE engineers have developed the EMP Module, to shield critical electric distribution substation infrastructure from potential Electromagnetic Magnetic Pulse (EMP) threats.



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Surveying Manager Cost Center 101776

Major Activities: Covers both Surveying and Right of Way Department - Responsible for the acquisition and housing of land rights allowing CenterPoint to install and maintain its facilities in support of our customer's gas and electricity needs.

Assignment Method:

All costs are assigned based on internal and external project requests.


Allocations are based on internal and external project requests.

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Page 16

Underground Locating Admin Cost Center 101782

Major Activities:

Provides oversight of underground line locating.

Assignment Method:

All costs are assigned based on planned line locates


Allocations are based on the number of planned line locates by area.

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Page 17

Telecom Network Cost Center 101784

Major Activities:

Management of Operations Data Communication

Assignment Method:

Number of circuits used by each department.


Allocations are based on the number of circuits at each location.

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Contractor Public Safety Cost Center 101973

Major Activities:

• Review and evaluation of historical safety performance and written safety programs for selection of third-party contractors

• Conduct of work site visits to review contractor work practices for compliance with regulatory requirements and worker and public protection

• Investigation of incidents involving third-party contractors performing work on behalf of CNP • Oversight of implementation of Safety Action Plans developed to address deficiencies is safety

performance • Coordination and management of third party services to evaluate contractors on special

projects • Produce reports including statistics, metrics, and trends related to contractor safety

performance

Assignment Method:

All cost are assigned based on customer count.


Allocations are based on the average customer count for 12 months ending June.

Page 19

Compliance Training Cost Center 101975

Major Activities:

• Review and Evaluation of Operator Qualification (OQ) training needs and make sure that they are in line with CNP work practices.

• Conduct reviews of training records, there retention schedule to stay in compliance with established guidelines.

• Produce reports, including metrics and trends related to Compliance/Regulatory guidelines.

Assignment Method:




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Reg Comp Training Cost Center 101976

Major Activities:

Coordination and Management of all of Operations Operator Qualification (OQ) training and record retention.

Assignment Method:




Page 21

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Coordination and Records Training Cost Center 101977

Major Activities: • Mapping out training plans, schedules, designing and developing training programs in-house

for training. • Help to choose training methods per case(virtual ,simulated, mentoring on the job training,

etc) • Conduct organization-wide training needs assessment and identify skills or knowledge gaps

that need to be addressed. • Maintain update curriculum database and training records.

Assignment Method:




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Contractor Safety cost Center 101978


• Oversight of CenterPoint Energy's contractor safety program • Evaluation and recommendation for selection of contractors to perform work on CenterPoint

Energy behalf based on historical safety performance and written safety programs in compliance with federal/state safety regulations

• Liaison with contractor safety representatives during incident investigations and follow up on safety action plans implemented for safety performance improvement

• Conduct site visits to observe and audit work performance for compliance with safety regulations

Assignment method:

Time entry is used to attribute man-hours to support the Vectren integration process.


The hourly rate is calculated by dividing the total regular pay, STI and Burden by the number of productive hours.

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Director Training and Development Cost Center 101979

Major activities:

• Provide leadership for Managers and Professionals in developing effective skills training programs.

• Ensure that training programs conform to business unit and corporate requirements, and meet all governmental laws, rules and regulations.

• Align department goals with business unity and corporate goals. • Provide guidance for the accumulation of statistic; development of reports; and the distribution

to management for trend analysis, progress on goals. • Develop annual department budget and monitor activity for operating cost efficiencies.

Assignment method:




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Instructional Development Cost Center 101983

Major Activities: . Instructional Design development of training curriculum for Operations Apprentices/Refresher

Training programs. • Leads efforts to implement technology enhancements to support skills training strategies. . Ensures a chronological log of training materials is maintained for documentation purposes

and compliance review. • Works with Safety Department to ensure applicable safety regulatory policies and procedures

are included in training curriculum and materials. . Supports the Management of Change (MOC) process by ensuring training and other

documents maintained by Technical Training are updated and revised as necessary. • Supports Multimedia Design and Development for Instructor/Training

Assignment Method:




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Page 25

CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp

Operations Cost Center Assignment Manual

2018

CenterPoint Energy Entex - CEHE

The following CenterPoint Energy Gas Operations Entex cost centers allocated to CEHE:

Cost Center Cost Center Name

127062 Entex Fleet Services

130070 Gas Operations Meter Reading Management

130194 GOTS Broadband Services

133370 Mobile MR HOU/TXC

133372 Gas Marketing Admin

133403 Line Locating

133406 Research and Damage Prevention Compliance

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Entex Fleet Services Cost Center 127062

Major Activities:

Fuel and maintenance related to Gas Operations Fueling Station.

CEHE Support Activities:

Costs are allocated to CEHE when CEHE employees pump gas at the Gas Operations fueling station.

Assignment Method:

All cost are assigned based on fuel usage which are then allocated 100% to the Houston Transportation Residual internal order.


Costs are assigned based on employee vehicle identification number when gas is pumped.

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Gas Ops Meter Reading Cost Center 130070

Major Activities:

Management administration of meter reading for Gas Operations


On an as needed purpose to meet the IDR billing scheduling, a Gas AMR/ERT meter reader in company code 082 is pulled to help meet the IDR schedule.

Assignment Method:




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GOTS Broadband Services Cost Center 130194

Major Activities:

Broadband service cost for mobile data laptops on field employee vehicles.

CEHE Support Activities: Costs allocated to CEHE are associated with the communication system for the CEHE field laptops that support the mobile data system.

Assignment Method:

All cost are assigned based on fixed percentages.


Allocations are based on the number of units in the field.

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Mobile MR HOU/TXC Cost Center 133370

Major Activities:

Management administration of mobile meter reading for Houston and Texas Coast Gas Operations.


On an as needed purpose to meet the IDR billing scheduling, a Gas AMR/ERT meter reader in company code 082 is pulled to help meet the IDR schedule.

Assignment Method:



Allocations are based on the average customer counts for the 12 months ending June.

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Gas Marketing Admin Cost Center 133372

Major activities:

Administrative oversight of the marketing groups within gas operations.


Employees in cost center 133372 supported CEHE marketing initiatives pertaining to market research and new product development.

Assignment method:

Direct charges are tracked and charged directly to the applicable business unit. All other charges are assigned based on customer count.


The costs incurred are on behalf of its jurisdictional affiliates. Therefore, the costs are assigned based on average customer counts for thel2 months ending June.

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Line Locating Cost Center 133403

Major Activities:

All costs related to the locating and marking of natural gas and electric lines.


Cost Center 133403 bills costs to CEHE based on the number of line locates done for CEHE

Assignment Method:

All cost are assigned based on number of tickets generated. Residual costs are allocated based on customer count.


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Allocations are based on area the ticket is generated from and impacted business unit gas or electric. Residual cost allocations are based on the average customer counts for the 12 months ending June.

Research and Damage Prevention Compliance Cost Center 133406

Major Activities:

Management administration of line locating tickets and compliance reporting of 3rd party damages to the Texas Rail Road Commission.


Cost center 133406 bills costs to CEHE based on the number of tickets researched for CEHE.

Assignment Method:

All cost are assigned based on number of tickets researched.


Allocations are based on area the ticket is generated from and impacted business unit gas or electric

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PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS CENTERPOINT ENERGY HOUSTON ELECTRIC TEST YEAR ENDING 12/31/18

Exhibit MMT-8 SPONSOR: M. Townsend

Page 1 of 4

Budgetary Planning

The current planning process at CenterPoint Energy, Inc. begins with a formal strategic planning process that provides for a formal annual review by all CenterPoint Energy, Inc. business units. As part of this process there are formal sessions in which the business units (or "Client Company") meet with representatives of CenterPoint Energy Service Company, LLC (CenterPoint Service Company") to share relevant information that is used by the CenterPoint Service Company in developing the proposed annual budget. In addition to the formal meetings, there are ongoing meetings through out the year between representatives of CenterPoint Service Company and the business units to discuss and identify any planned decreases or increases in business activities that may effect future resource planning.

The current budgeting process for CenterPoint Service Company requires each functional area to meet with the respective business unit to determine future service needs, which may include both ongoing operations and project activities or unique one-time activities. Based upon the information provided by the business units to CenterPoint Service Company representatives, a proposed budget is developed by each functional group within CenterPoint Service Company. Once initial budgets are defined, meetings are held with the president of each of the business units along with his/her financial director and any appropriate support personnel. Based on the discussions with the business units, adjustments are made to the respective CenterPoint Service Company budgets, which are then incorporated into the business units budgetary plans.

The next step in the annual planning process is a review of the proposed business plans and corresponding budgets by each of the CenterPoint Service Company's functional areas and business units with the Executive Committee. Upon final adjustments to proposed business plans and budgets, a presentation is made to the CenterPoint Energy Board of Directors.

The final step in the planning process is to develop the service level agreements ("SLAs") to reflect the agreed upon services, pricing and performance standards. The final SLA's are then distributed to respective business unit finance directors to coordinate a final review and signature of the business unit president.

Monitoring of Costs and Management Reporting

During the year, performance review meetings are held where each business unit head presents to the senior management team a recap of current month and year to date financial performance. These reports include a specific section for the billings from CenterPoint Service Company and explanations for deviations. In addition to the business units, each of the functional unit leaders of CenterPoint Service Company provide a recap of their respective financial performance and billings to the business units.

The preparation of these monthly reports is coordinated by the financial director employed by each business unit and reporting to the respective president. Part of the preparation of these reports requires a detailed review of the billings received by the business unit from CenterPoint Service Company to insure reasonableness and accuracy. Any discrepancies that are not evident in the billings are referred to the finance director for CenterPoint Service Company for further explanation.

1393


Page 2 of 4

Arms-Length Transactions

Each business unit has a finance director, reporting to the respective business unit president that is charged with overseeing that the services being provided by the service company are appropriately priced and periodic reviews of the billings are consistent with the annual SLA. To ensure the cost of services are competitive with the market, periodic reviews and assessments are performed through both benchmarking and outsourcing studies.

Cost Obiect Monitoring and Control

The CenterPoint Service Company Finance Organization is responsible for reviewing, monitoring, and maintaining the cost objects. The CenterPoint Service Company Finance Organization will also establish new cost objects. An annual review is required in addition to the day-to-day maintenance of the system. As part of the annual review, the CenterPoint Service Company Finance Organization monitors and close inactive cost objects.

Allocation Factors Update and Revisions

Allocation factors are based on cost drivers specifically applicable to the service provided. The CenterPoint Service Company Finance Organization has the primary responsibility for ensuring that allocation factors are correct, accurate and current. Allocation factors are updated annually, at year-end.

Allocation factors are updated quarterly to reflect year-to-date activity through that point in time. For example, allocation factors are updated after the first quarter reflecting year-to-date activity through the first quarter. These new factors are used in the second quarter. This process is repeated at the end of the second and third quarters.

The CenterPoint Service Company Finance Organization is responsible for evaluating new allocation methodologies. Allocation factors in effect for 2018 are set forth on Schedule V-K-9.1 through V-K-9.3.

Time Reporting

Certain CenterPoint Service Company employees keep time records supporting labor charged to separately identifiable goods and services performed for Client Companies. All time is entered into SAP either through an automated timekeeping system or through manual entry directly into SAP. Cost objects to which time entries relate are identified in the timekeeping system, and costs associated with those time entries are charged to the appropriate cost objects through SAP billings.

Employees record time weekly in a minimum of 30-minute increments. Departments may elect to record employee's time in increments smaller than 30-minutes to meet special needs. The employee's immediate supervisor reviews and approves time reports. Department Time

1394


Page 3 of 4

Coordinators review time entry monthly to insure 100% accountability and compliance.

Time records are maintained for at least six years.

Billing and Review

Monthly invoices are rendered by CenterPoint Service Company for services rendered. Invoices are, to the extent feasible, in the form of electronic reports in the SAP system. Charges are rendered during the first week of each month covering amounts incurred during the prior month. For most Client Companies, charges are invoiced through an SAP entry which journalizes the actual monthly charges on the customer's books on the first workday of the financial close. Charges are based on actual amounts incurred. If allocations are required, they are based on estimated values based on estimates in budget plans for the relevant values. Estimated amounts are adjusted on subsequent charges either in a subsequent month or at the end of the year. Payment are made by the Client Company by making remittance or by making (offsetting) accounting entries of the amount billed.

Management of each Client Company is responsible for reviewing invoices from CenterPoint Service Company to determine accuracy and appropriateness of charges.

CenterPoint Service Company's billing system will use 17 C.F.R. Section 256 et. al, the "Uniform System of Accounts for Mutual Service Companies", established by the Commission for holding company systems, as may be adjusted to use the FERC uniform system of accounts. ServiceCo will support its charges with reasonable documentation (which may be maintained in electronic form). ServiceCo will make adjustments to charges as required to reflect the discovery of errors or omissions in the charges.

Dispute Resolution Procedure

From time to time, disputes may arise regarding the services and products provided by CenterPoint Service Company. The employees of the Client Company and the employees of CenterPoint Service Company are encouraged to resolve those disputes on an informal basis in as timely a manner as possible, and the CenterPoint Service Company agrees, upon reasonable request, to provide access to relevant books and records. However, if during the course of the year a dispute arises as to the scope of any service or the nature of any product, the delivery terms, the related performance metrics and standards, or the price for any service or product which cannot be resolved on an informal basis, the Client Company and CenterPoint Service Company will resolve the dispute using the following procedures:

A. A supervisor or manager of the Client Company who is responsible for the use of the service or the consumption of the product about which there is a dispute will notify in writing, or by email, a supervisor or manager of CenterPoint Service Company who is responsible for providing the service or product of the nature of the dispute, including specific examples of problems or failures which gave rise to the dispute. The supervisor or manager of the Client

1395


Page 4 of 4

Company shall also present a proposed resolution of the dispute and propose a date and time for a meeting to resolve the dispute. The supervisor or manager of CenterPoint Service Company shall acknowledge in writing, or by email, his or her receipt of the notice of the dispute and agree to the meeting, suggest an alternative date and time for the meeting proposed by the supervisor or manager of the Client Company, or contact the supervisor or manager of the Client Company to schedule a meeting date and time that the two may agree upon.

B. The supervisor or manager of the Client Company and the supervisor or manager of CenterPoint Service Company may meet as often as both agree is necessary to resolve the complaint, and their meeting or meetings may include such other employees as may be helpful in resolving the dispute. If after such meeting or meetings, but in no event later than thirty days after the initial notice of the dispute was given, the supervisor or manager of the Client Company and the supervisor or manager of CenterPoint Service Company are unable to resolve the dispute, the dispute shall be referred to the appropriate executive of the Client Company and an executive of CenterPoint Service Company for resolution.

C. The executive of the Client Company and the executive of CenterPoint Service Company shall meet at a date and time or dates and times they mutually agree upon. Such meetings or meetings may include any employees either executive believes will be helpful in resolving the dispute. If, after such meeting or meetings, the executive of the Client Company and the executive of CenterPoint Service Company reasonably believe they cannot resolve the dispute, the dispute shall be referred to the most senior executives of the Client Company and of CenterPoint Service Company for resolution in accordance with whatever procedures senior management may establish.

Internal Audit Control

Internal Audit, under the direction of the Vice President of Audit Services, conducts periodic reviews of CenterPoint Service Company's business processes and systems to ensure that the services provided are properly documented and charged to the Client Companies on an appropriate basis. Reviews are performed such that all major service areas are evaluated over time. Internal Audit also conducts reviews of transactions and cost object charge methods to assess whether they comply with SEC requirements.

Internal Audit maintains an independent role and has direct contact to CenterPoint Energy's Audit Committee. Audit findings, recommendations and progress toward resolution of findings are reported to the Audit Committee and Senior Management as appropriate.

1396

Exhibit M MT-9 Page 1 of 146


2018 Service Level Agreement for

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric

1397

Exhibit MMT-9 Page 2 of 146

CenterPoint Energy ServiceCo LLC 2018 Service Level Agreement Contents


1. Master Services Agreement

2. 2018 Business Unit Billing Plan

3. Business Operations Support

4. Corporate Communications & Community Relations

5. Finance

6. Human Resources

7. Legal

8. Properties

9. Regulated Operations

10. Regulatory & Government Affairs

11. Technology Operations

1398

Exhibit M MT-9 Page 3 of 146

Exhibit B-1

Form of

Master Services Agreement

Between


And


This Master Services Agreement (the "Agreement"), dated as of January 1, 2018, is entered into in multiple parts by and between the companies whose names appear on the signature pages hereof, (each, a "Company" or "Recipient" and collectively, the "CenterPoint Companies" or "Recipients"), and CenterPoint Energy Service Company, LLC, a Texas limited liability company ("ServiceCo").

RECITALS

CenterPoint Energy, Inc. ("CenterPoint") has formed ServiceCo as a subsidiary company to provide services, as set forth herein, to CenterPoint and its subsidiaries.

Accordingly, ServiceCo and the CenterPoint Companies desire to enter into this Agreement to allow for the provision of services by ServiceCo to the CenterPoint Companies.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:

I. EFFECTIVE DATE.

This Agreement shall be effective beginning January 1, 2018 or such subsequent date as agreed by the parties hereto, and shall continue in effect until terminated by Recipient or ServiceCo pursuant to the provisions set forth in Article VIII, Section C (Termination and Modification).

- 1 - Houston Electric

1399

Documents

Organizational Readiness/Risk Management