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Glite Dictionary
ratepayer

ratepayer

5 6.0
A person who pays local tax for a house or other property
  • noun
  • /ˈreɪtˌpeɪər/
  • UK
: contribuyente
  • Just how large the rate increases will be for Bristol County ratepayers is the question.
  • ratepayers pay
  • burden on ratepayers

We were accused of totally wasting in ratepayers, money, profligacy, all that sort of stuff.

Examples

  • Plaintiffs sought a refund "of all amounts that ratepayers unlawfully had to pay" during the period PGE charged for the plant.

    Academic text (2017)

  • During the meeting, the mayor assured all ratepayers that their concerns about rising utility costs would be addressed.

  • As a result, the ratepayer is required to pay for this cost through amortization.

    Academic text (2000)

  • According to the used and useful rule, ratepayers should not pay for costs that are not attached to services received.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Do you not think total cost is something ratepayers and taxpayers ought to have some say in?

    Blog text (19)

  • But our duty to our ratepayers is to provide them with the lowest possible utility cost.

    An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power (2017)

  • Under a regulatory regime, the costs are recovered through the rates charged to ratepayers through a process called amortization.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Therefore, ratepayers should not be obligated to pay the utilities for stranded cost recovery.

    Academic text (2000)

  • I applaud Rayonier and FPUC for providing multiple benefits to ratepayers as a result of this agreement.

    Blog text (32)

  • In contrast, utilities are often allowed by PUCs to recover unforeseen environmental mitigation costs from ratepayers.

    Academic text (1994)

Synonyms

taxpayer
vsratepayer
563 2.1

A person or group that pays taxes to the government

pays local charges for property ownership or occupation

Surface Forms

ratepayer singular
ratepayers plural

Morphology

ratepayer = rate + payer (transparent) = rate + payer

The compound directly denotes a person who pays rates; components are productive and their meanings yield the overall sense.

Etymology

Ratepayer is made of rate and payer: rate here means a 'local tax' or charge for services, and a payer is someone who pays. So a ratepayer is a person, often the owner or the person who lives in a property, who pays that local tax to help pay for things like roads and rubbish collection.