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 letter also noted that the PUC will initiate action to reduce residential ratepayer transmission costs by Friday, July 31. — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 24 June 2026

New transmission, new substations and new generation built specifically to serve a data-center campus should be paid for by the data-center operator, not by residential ratepayers. — Warren Wimmer, Mercury News, 24 June 2026

Jackson and other consumer advocates have argued residential customers should not shoulder those costs, while Duke maintains large users ultimately benefit other ratepayers. — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 23 June 2026

The ratepayers pick up the tab, and the company makes its 10% profit, even if the new equipment ends up being unnecessary. — Conor Harrison, Fortune, 23 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