The cold air that blanketed the region this week has produced some record-breaking temperatures, forcing many Maritimers to turn up their thermostats.

Power companies say they are seeing a large increase in demand for electricity as a deep freeze chills the region.

Sherman Palmer lives in an apartment in Saint John. He says his apartment is typically warm, which is a good thing as he worries having to turn up the heat would result in a shocking power bill.

“A lot of seniors will not turn the heat up. They would sooner freeze than have a big bill at the end of the month,” says Palmer.

NB Power says the demand for electricity has steadily increased all week. As a result, the utility has fired up nearly all of its generators including fossil fuel burners at the Coleson Cove Generating Station, which are expensive to operate, but indispensable on chilly winter days.

The utility says it is closing in on peak demands, adding this is the season that stretches power companies to the limit.

Saint John Energy experienced a system peak of 225 megawatts on Thursday, which is more than twice the demand for electricity that the utility would experience on the heaviest of demand days during the summer.

Thursday night, Nova Scotia Power was dealing with some of the highest peaks it has seen in years.

On Prince Edward Island, Maritime Electric temporarily cut power to large industry and some central residential customers in order to avoid a provincewide blackout.

Back in Saint John, the Romero House Soup Kitchen has a power bill of about $2,000 a month.

But volunteers at the soup kitchen are more worried about those who are struggling to keep warm in drafty homes and apartments.

“Any change in the weather like this hits them hard because they are living on fixed income and they try to budget themselves accordingly,” says Evelyn McNulty.

“On days like this, they put the heat up, but a lot of places in Saint John are old and no matter how high you put the heat up, you don’t get warm.”

The cold snap that has been gripping the region is expected to let up a bit over the weekend.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Mike Cameron