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SAN FRANCISCO — California politicians are hoping the stunning admission by a top Enron trader that the energy giant manipulated power markets will help the state’s plea for $9 billion in refunds. 

But until or unless that money comes, it’s up to ratepayers to cough up the cash. And like roommates squabbling over a hefty dinner tab, businesses, consumer groups and the state’s debt-ridden utilities are aiming to duck as much of the bill as possible. 

California’s Public Utilities Commission, the agency that sets rates, meets Thursday to decide who owes what. The regulators also are racing to let the utilities resume buying their own power — and relieve the state of the job — before a New Year’s Eve deadline. 

Regulators chose late Wednesday to delay two major items until a later meeting but still plan to decide Thursday whether low-income customers also must chip in to pay the $11.95 billion of bonds the state began selling Wednesday. 

The decision is one of several that will determine millions of power bills, which in California already are on average higher than 45 other states, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. 

“How we design who pays makes a big difference for how much we can drop or have to raise rates,” commission President Loretta Lynch said. “If we essentially have the broadest base of ratepayers pay and have them pay their appropriate fair share without a lot of cost shifting to other folks we can potentially avoid a rate increase.” 

A majority of fellow commissioners have advocated a more business-friendly approach, which consumer groups say would foist more of the bill onto residential customers. 

Though the state hasn’t calculated the total cost of the energy crisis, it will cost ratepayers tens of billions of dollars over the next decade. 

Most stakeholders agree it’s vital that the state help Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Southern California Edison get back on their feet. The commission plans to order that both utilities resume purchasing the relatively small amount of electricity they need to cover demand that isn’t already met through a combination of long-term power contracts and utility-owned power plants. 

The commission plans to send a signal to Wall Street that — unlike during the state’s power crisis — it’s committed to keeping rates high enough to cover the utilities’ costs, Lynch said. The PUC wants to reassure power sellers that PG&E and Edison will be able to pay their bills and persuade Wall Street to boost their credit ratings so they can rely less on the state. 

Those same credit rating agencies will signal when the utilities are healthy, making it vital state regulators make consistent rules for the future, said Dominic DiMare, legislative advocate for the state Chamber of Commerce.