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

Under the measure, utility companies are prohibited from passing employee salaries down to ratepayers. —Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026

While cost isn’t the sole factor, Kenney said Xcel considers the potential impact on ratepayers when deciding where and whether to bury power lines. —Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026

Muenz emphasized that the city needs to educate the community on why the improvements are necessary, and suggested the council could explore alternate options for next year to potentially ease the costs to ratepayers in future years. —Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026

The proposal, scheduled to be considered by the California ISO’s board of governors on May 19, would have financial implications for ratepayers across the state. —Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 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