With oil prices as high as they’ve ever been in November, there wouldn’t seem to be a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.

The average price of gasoline nationwide was $3.10 per gallon – 86 cents more than it was a year ago at this time, according to the Energy Information Administration. The average price of heating oil in Maine was the same per gallon – 91 cents higher than it was at this time last year.

Prices like these should be enough to convince us all of the importance of running our cars and heating our homes efficiently, and of the importance of programs that offer assistance to those who need it in getting through the winter months. For those who are seeking assistance, columnist Kay Soldier has some advice in “Senior Advocate” on page 15.

The high costs are squeezing many families, who are struggling to keep up with the costs of heating their homes and filling up their cars this Thanksgiving. With winter still a month away, Rene Daniel, who runs the Westbrook Housing General Assistance program, said he’s already received 40 applications, compared to the 30 he received all last winter.

“I am seeing a huge influx from people I have never seen before,” said Daniel.

Ann Bittner runs the Good Samaritan Fund – a fund supported by a number of local churches that offers one-time assistance to families. Bittner said she’s had three times as many requests as she had at this time last year.

When oil prices rise, Mainers are hit harder than the residents of any other state. More people heat with oil in this state – 87 percent – than any other place in the country. The average income is also much lower here than it is elsewhere.

That’s why we need to work three times as hard to make sure our homes are operating efficiently. Homes need to be well insulated and have efficient heating systems. The state could do a better job of offering incentives to homeowners to make improvements and to builders who choose to construct energy efficient homes.

The need for more efficient homes and cars and alternative sources of fuel should be more apparent now than ever. Oil is going to be a necessary fuel source for us for a long time to come, but we have an unhealthy dependency on it.

That’s why it was good to see Adam Lee, the president of Lee Auto Malls in Maine, testifying at an Environmental Protection Agency hearing in support of California’s application to regulate auto emissions on new cars. American automakers have been lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to making fuel-efficient cars. If that doesn’t change, it will ultimately be to all of our detriment.

Still, many of us will be hitting the roads this Thanksgiving. Holiday traditions may be changing because of high fuel costs, but nothing can get in the way of families getting together to observe the holiday.

hose of us who can still afford to put gas in our cars and heat our homes for family have reason to be thankful.

Brendan Moran, editor