Faced with a doubling in natural gas prices this year and a power bill that is also spiralling higher, David Karney is worried not just for the future of his metals treatment business but that entire parts of the manufacturing sector face wipe-out.

Mr Karney, general manager of Ace Metal Treatment Services south-east of Melbourne, said gas and electricity price increases for the energy-intensive sector had to be passed on to customers, who could instead turn to imported products.