MakeUK, a manufacturing lobbyist, is warning that soaring energy prices could force manufacturers to halt operations. Skyrocketing energy bills and the wider cost-of-living crisis are squeezing plant owners. The rise in prices has seen 13 percent of manufacturers already reduce their hours of operation, and 12 percent have been forced to make job cuts as a direct result of increased energy bills. As many as six in 10 British manufacturing businesses are at risk of closure, according to a recent survey as soaring energy bills and the wider cost-of-living crisis has owners feeling the squeeze. MakeUK, a manufacturing lobby organization in the U.K., announced on Saturday that 42 percent of manufacturers have seen their electricity bills rise by 100 percent in the past 12 months, and 32 percent have also seen their gas bill double. The rise in prices has seen 13 percent of manufacturers already reduce their hours […]