ratepayer

noun

rate·​pay·​er ˈrāt-ˌpā-ər 

1

British : taxpayer

2

: one who pays for a utility service and especially electricity according to established rates

Examples of ratepayer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The ratepayers pick up the tab, and the company makes its 10% profit, even if the new equipment ends up being unnecessary. —Conor Harrison, The Conversation, 16 June 2026

The new budget pushes those goals to 2040 and 2050, giving us more time to reduce emissions in a more affordable way for ratepayers and still clean up our environment. —Robert Duffy, New York Daily News, 15 June 2026

New England has experienced these price shocks repeatedly, leaving ratepayers vulnerable to the very weather extremes that climate change is making more frequent. —Julianna Larue, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2026

Sale critics include Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, state environmental and utility regulators, ratepayer advocates and outside environmental groups, all of whom contend the deal puts the public at risk. —CBS News, 12 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ratepayer

• interlayer
• monolayer
• multilayer
• multiplayer
• overlayer
• assayer
• ballplayer
• betrayer
• bilayer
• bricklayer
• conveyer
• conveyor