(chiefly, North America) Someone who pays for a public utility or service.
The executive order, the military authority, and the ratepayer scam behind the AI infrastructure boom
The tension between these massive infrastructure projects and the strain they put on local resources is definitely growing. Does the video go into how much of the grid upgrade cost usually ends up falling back on the…
(chiefly, North America) Someone who pays for a public utility or service.
The government is supposed to mediate between ratepayers and the power company.
"ratepayer" means: Someone who pays for a public utility or service.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"ratepayer" means: Someone who pays for a public utility or service.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
"ratepayer" means: Someone who pays for a public utility or service.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "ratepayer".
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with R.
(US, Canada) A collection of residents representing a geographic or otherwise connected residential or business area who together ensure that their communities development interests are known, represented and supported.
(US, politics) Something which is used to pay for a bill, such as an increase in taxes.
(internet slang, 4chan, derogatory) A person who pays for electronic media, especially video games.
A customer, as of a certain store or restaurant.
The Ratepayer Protection Act (SB 1114) seeks to correct this by requiring large load users to pay for the infrastructure necessary to connect to the grid, rather than pushing those costs onto the public.
“The executive order, the military authority, and the ratepayer scam behind the AI infrastructure boom”
“The tension between these massive infrastructure projects and the strain they put on local resources is definitely growing. Does the video go into how much of the grid upgrade cost usually ends up falling back on the average ratepayer?”
“The Ratepayer Protection Act (SB 1114) seeks to correct this by requiring large load users to pay for the infrastructure necessary to connect to the grid, rather than pushing those costs onto the public.”
(intransitive, Australia, colloquial) To pay a higher price than might be expected or considered reasonable.