Hydro-Quebec says Quebecers gobbled up the juice at a near-record pace on this frigid Monday morning.
The utility says at 7 a.m. on Monday, power consumption reached 38,457 megawatts province-wide — a high mark for the 2017-18 winter season so far.
The all-time record of 39,240 megawatts was set on another bitterly cold January morning in 2014.
Southern Quebec has been in the grips of an off-and-on deep freeze since the holidays, but Hydro suggests consumption of electricity is higher now that the holidays are over for most Quebecers, and that just about everyone is back to their regular routines.
In any case, the utility's spokesperson Serge Abergel says its power network can handle the increased demand.
"The good news is, this year, the network...is very strong. It's robust," he says.
During cold snaps, Hydro typically advises people to cut down on power consumption as best they can during peak periods — the morning rush hour and the late afternoon/early evening period.