UK manufacturers struggle under high energy billsAFP, ELTON, EnglandMolten glass drops through chutes before being blown into bottles at manufacturer Encirc Ltd’s northwest England plant, where intensive operations are under strain from exorbitant energy prices weighing on Britain’s heavy industry. Britain has some of the highest energy prices in Europe, driven by its reliance on natural gas and the costs of transitioning to renewables, which are passed on to bills. Operations at the plant are under strain from exorbitant energy prices weighing on Britain’s heavy industry, the company said. Photo: AFPThe country’s industrial electricity prices were also the steepest in Europe in 2024, according to the latest government data. At Encirc’s Elton factory, where bottles clatter along the conveyor belts to be filled and labelled, executives say energy prices are inseparable from the push to decarbonize.

Source: Taipei Times February 18, 2026 17:16 UTC