Communities there suffer some of the highest levels of fuel poverty in the UK, with around 80% of households affected

A new short film is shedding light on the human cost of fuel poverty across the Western Isles.

The Long Shadow, filmed on the Isle of Lewis by Luke Wilson Media, follows an elderly resident facing the choice between heating or eating.

The film captures the daily reality for many islanders contending with high energy costs, low incomes and poorly insulated homes.

Islands and communities in the Western Isles suffer some of the highest levels of fuel poverty in the UK, with around 80% of households affected.

Commissioned by community-owned wind farm Point and Sandwick Trust (PST) in partnership with Muirneag Consulting, the film accompanies the launch of local Fuel Hardship Grants for 2025, which provide direct support to struggling households in the villages of the Point and Sandwick area on the Isle of Lewis.

Stewart Wilson of the PST Energy Support Unit said: “We wanted to make a film that reflects real lives and difficult choices. By telling one person’s story, we hope to give a voice to the many others facing the same struggle across the islands.”

The Long Shadow will be shown before main screenings at An Lanntair, Stornoway during December and January and is available online at: https://youtu.be/dnZTkGYUF60?si=ebWhRBVSEN-1wRgC