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

As the Colorado River and its once massive reservoirs shrink from overuse and climate change, officials are faced with a decision that pits conservation against ratepayer costs for electricity. —Dorany Pineda, Fortune, 27 May 2026

Private nuclear startups offer a different path entirely, one built on factory production, private financing and deployable designs that add new supply without forcing ratepayers to absorb the risk. —Iulia Lupse, Sun Sentinel, 24 May 2026

The American Water Works Association and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies also sued the EPA, arguing that compliance costs should fall on polluters rather than municipal water systems and their ratepayers. —Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 18 May 2026

Both tactics persisted through the 1980s and ’90s, forcing DWSD to make compromises that shifted more costs onto Detroit ratepayers. —Nicole Van Lier, The Conversation, 13 May 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