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 shift would help shield local ratepayers' monthly electricity bills from hikes, according to the lawmakers sponsoring the legislation. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026

The cost of the line will be shared by ratepayers in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Rhode Island. — Alex Kuffner, The Providence Journal, 9 Sep. 2026

The governor is also requiring that new data centers bring their own energy supply or pay a fee into a ratepayer protection fund that would return the money to ratepayers. — Louisa Moller, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026

But if data centers shut down after connecting, other ratepayers could be left with the cost of infrastructure built to serve them, driving up bills. — Grace Hase, Mercury News, 2 Sep. 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