UNITED KINGDOM / AGILITYPR.NEWS / October 20, 2026 / As Chancellor John Healey prepares to deliver his first Autumn Budget on 28 October, for plenty of manufacturers in the Midlands and beyond one question hangs over it more than any other: will anything be done about energy costs?

Make UK's latest Manufacturing Outlook, published in September, still lists them as a major barrier to growth, investment and job creation across the sector.

Nobody on a factory floor can do much about that in the next fortnight. Midland Pallet Trucks says one small overhead can come off the list straight away, though. A manual pallet truck, stacker or lift table runs on the person using it and nothing else. No charger, no battery, no meter ticking over in the background.

It isn't a saving anyone will mention in a Budget response. But while energy bills can be death by a thousand small draws, most sites have never looked at where their handling equipment sits in that picture.

Phil Chesworth, Managing Director at Midland Pallet Trucks, said, "People hear the word manual and assume it's the cheap, old-fashioned option. For a lot of jobs, it's simply the better tool.

“Short moves, awkward spaces, lighter loads, kit that gets used a few times a shift rather than all day. A pallet truck, stacker truck or a lift table does that without a charger to find a socket for or a battery to replace down the line.

"I'm not against electric - we sell plenty of it, and some work genuinely needs it. But powered equipment shouldn't be bought out of habit. Before anyone signs for it, ask whether the job calls for it.

"Nobody knows what the Budget will do about energy until the day itself. Kit that doesn't depend on the answer is one less thing to worry about while you wait."

For manufacturers weighing up equipment before the year is out, Midland Pallet Trucks suggests walking the site and sorting handling jobs into two piles: those that need power, and those that only have it because it was the default. It costs nothing - and might just turn up a few surprises.

For more information, visit https://www.midlandpallettrucks.com.