raise bills for

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the sentence "raise bills for" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use this phrase when speaking or writing about working on legislation to establish a particular cost or fee. For example, "The city council is working to raise bills for new taxes."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

This would raise bills for consumers.

The Guardian

Scottish water companies have been told they cannot raise bills for a year from April, while Northern Ireland bills will be announced next month.

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The row, which has been simmering for months, came to the boil over the weekend as senior Tory Tim Yeo accused Osborne of threatening the future of the UK's energy sector - and potentially raising bills for consumers - by seeking to appeal to the rightwing Tory backbenchers who are opposed to renewable energy.

The Guardian

All of the major energy companies raised bills for customers at some point during the winter or early spring.

BBC

One energy company, EDF, has already said the announcement means it will not have to raise bills again for another year and it is understood that Npower is in a similar position.

The Guardian

BBC technology boss Erik Huggers has added another eyebrow-raising bill for a chauffeur-driven car to his list of expenses, clocking up £646.79 on a trip to Korea.

The Guardian

Specifics of the electricity plans are expected before the end of the year, but the framework set out in July indicates that they are likely to sharply raise power bills for consumers in general — and desalination plants in particular.

The New York Times

"Much bigger players than Centrica have been forced to acknowledge that the frontiers-led growth model is fundamentally flawed," said Charlie Kronick, an oil campaigner with Greenpeace UK. "The industry just isn't capable of exploring in the Arctic safely, let alone profitably, so this folly could raise British bills for the sake of oil and gas which we really, really don't need".

The Guardian - Business

Some of Britain's biggest energy companies have been accused of raising households bills for no reason and systematically overcharging customers by £3.7bn a year as they were grilled by MPs over their soaring prices and profits.

The Guardian - Business

Dot Gibson, National Pensioners Convention general secretary, said: "Pensioners will be particularly concerned that companies like SSE are raising energy bills for customers, while at the same time one of their companies finds ways to avoid paying tax.

Independent

AT&T gave into pressure from embarrassed federal regulators and outraged consumer groups today and said that it would put off a planned rate increase that would have raised telephone bills for tens of millions of customers.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing potential financial consequences, "raise bills for" can effectively convey concerns about increased costs for consumers or businesses. Be mindful of the specific context to ensure the phrase accurately reflects the intended meaning.

Common error

Avoid using "raise bills for" when referring to general inflation or economic factors. This phrase is best suited for situations where there's a deliberate action to increase specific charges or fees.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "raise bills for" functions as a verb phrase, describing the action of increasing the amount of money that people have to pay. Ludwig AI shows the phrase is used to describe concerns about cost increases.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

20%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Science

2%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "raise bills for" is a common and grammatically sound expression used to convey concerns about increased costs, particularly in news, media and formal business contexts. As Ludwig AI confirms, it effectively communicates actions or policies that lead to higher expenses for individuals or entities. While generally neutral in register, it often carries a negative connotation due to its association with increased financial burdens. Related phrases include "increase charges on" and "hike prices for", though the precise meaning varies based on context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

increase charges on

This alternative focuses on the action of making charges higher, but is broader and therefore has lower similarity.

hike prices for

This indicates a sharp increase in prices, differing in intensity.

elevate tariffs on

This suggests increasing taxes on imported goods, which is a specific type of "raise bills for".

escalate fees for

This implies a gradual increase in fees over time. It has different nuance, therefore the similarity score is lower.

impose higher taxes on

Focuses specifically on raising taxes, therefore not fully interchangeable with the main query and a lower similarity score.

adjust costs to

This is a more neutral term, simply meaning to change the cost. It lacks the negative implication of "raise bills for".

augment levies on

This is a more formal way of saying increasing taxies, and the similarity score is lower due to it's formal usage.

inflate rates for

This conveys an artificial or disproportionate increase. Lower similarity score as the meaning is slightly different.

drive up expenses for

This indicates that expenses rise sharply, the similarity score is lower due to it's dramatic meaning.

bump up payments for

This suggests a sudden, small increase in payment amounts and not always taxes or utilities. Lower similarity score.

FAQs

How can I use "raise bills for" in a sentence?

You can use "raise bills for" to describe actions that increase the amount consumers or businesses have to pay for something, such as "The new energy policy may "raise bills for" households".

What's a more formal alternative to "raise bills for"?

In more formal contexts, you could use phrases like "increase charges on", "augment levies on", or "escalate fees for" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey. These alternatives are less direct but may be more suitable for professional writing.

Is it correct to say "increased bills for" instead of "raise bills for"?

While "increased bills for" is grammatically correct, "raise bills for" specifically implies an action taken to cause an increase, while "increased bills for" simply describes a state. Consider using ""raise bills for"" when an entity actively causes the increase.

What is the implication of using the phrase "raise bills for"?

The phrase ""raise bills for"" often carries a negative connotation, suggesting that someone is deliberately increasing costs, which can be concerning for those affected.