In years gone by your typical plumber would show up in his old white van, most likely a Ford Transit with a rusty wheel arch and a few scratches and scuffs down the side. Things have moved a long way since then, and today's plumbers are spoilt for choice for well engineered, fully customisable and well priced vans. Plumbers looking for a new van will notice that the competition has brought a wide range of vans which are comfortable, well designed and are easy to drive.

Combining car-like comfort with ruggedness and durability, new vans bring in a fresh approach to commercial vehicles. There is a wide range of sizes of loading space, from 3 to 17 cubic meters, which can be further customized to meet the plumber's unique requirements. Most vans utilize a sliding door which is useful in tight spots. Some vans even offer an option of two sliding doors for added flexibility.

Plumbers can specify whether they prefer double rear doors or a tailgate. Some cab doors are now designed with reduced opening angle to make it easier to grab the handle when the door is fully open, further reducing the risk of the door opening into a wall or other obstacles.

Most traders' vans sold in the UK at the moment are using a diesel engine. The main reason for their success is their fuel efficiency and high torque in the low rev range, helping in towing heavy loads. Developments in diesel engine design and assembly in recent years have made them smooth, quiet while keeping their advantage as longer lasting, cheaper to maintain and highly reliable powertrain systems. These developments apply to passenger cars as well as commercial vans.

A special mechanical particulate filter is used to clear out carbon particles from the exhaust gases. The filter greatly improves the quality of the exhaust output and reduces the carbon emissions from the engine.

Common rail systems have done wonders for the diesel engines in recent years. Similar in many ways to direct injection systems in internal combustion petrol engines, the common rail system has improved diesel engines' smoothness, softened their noise and vastly improved the ride quality. Other important benefits of the common rail systems include better performance, improved fuel economy and increased torque output.

An alternative system is now being introduced which injects fuel at much greater pressure than conventional diesel engines. There are now several vans with engines adopting the new technology which offers improved efficiency and flexibility.

Modern light vans are now sold with gear boxes offering five or six gears. This improves the ride quality, offering a smooth ride. Some vans are now offered with automatic or semi automatic gear boxes, which are winning hearts on the highly congested UK roads and town centres.

Modern light vans now offer comfort levels that were not available even for luxury cars only a few years ago. Vans are now offering air conditioning, cruise control and satellite navigation systems are offered as options or sometimes even as standard by some manufacturers. With better engines and ride quality, a long drive is not so daunting anymore.

Van manufacturers have also stepped up the level of safety features to bring vans in line with passenger cars. Most vans now offer a driver's air bag, and many offer other air bags as options (side and curtain airbags). Other modern safety features include ABS (Antilock Braking System) and ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme). Both of these electronic features are effectively active guardians that would correct the vehicle direction or breaking in case of skidding, or breaking in wet conditions.

We all know the feeling, you are enjoying a hot shower when suddenly a cold flow of water hits you, meaning your partner or child has turned on the water tap in the other bathroom or kitchen. This unpleasant experience is slowly becoming a thing of the past with the uptake of unvented hot water systems which provide steady and reliable hot water pressure, which is equal to the cold water mains pressure (provided by the local water company). Unvented systems are very popular in many other countries and have many benefits, including a good hot water pressure (solving the problem of no pressure in the top floor showers) and eliminating the need for header tanks in the loft.

Hectic lifestyles mean high demand from the basic systems in the home. These days we do not expect to wait for hot water, nor do we expect to get hit by a cold flush of water in the shower when someone else turns on the hot water tap in the house. Furthermore, many modern houses have two bathrooms, as well as a host of other appliances that put pressure on the hot water systems, such as a whirlpool bath or a jet shower. Only unvented systems can offer the reliable supply of hot water in the right quantity and pressure to allow for all this to work seamlessly.

Unvented cylinders are made of metals that can be broadly grouped into the following three groups: copper, stainless steel and sheet metal. All three are reliable and used around the world. They naturally differ and have unique advantages and disadvantages.

* Copper cylinders - the lightest material, and used to be relatively cheap until the recent sharp increase of the commodity prices of copper. Still they are very popular in the UK, despite having the lowest heat retention properties of the three.

* Stainless Steel tanks - the most expensive of the three, offering longer lifetime, but at a price. They have good heat retention, and only a little heavier than copper tanks.

* Sheet metal shell - offers the best heat retention properties, and is cheapest of the three technologies. Although heaviest of the three, sheet metal shells are highly popular in the rest of Europe and normally come with an inner enamel glazing, thus reducing build up of scale.

When making your selection of the unvented hot water cylinder, there are several important points to pay attention to:

* Volume and dimension of the cylinder - there is a wide variety of unvented cylinders sold in the UK. A typical household of 4-5 people would be well served by a 200 liter cylinder. It is also important to check that the cylinder would fit into the airing cupboard (replacing the existing cylinder).

* Heat retention properties - check the heat loss specifications of the cylinder. A good cylinder will lose very little heat (e.g. less than 3 kW per 24 hours). This will reduce energy wastage and cut your heating bills.

* Manufacturers' warranty and support - unvented cylinders are simple systems, with no moving parts. This makes them reliable over many years. However, it is important to check which warranty and service support is offered by the manufacturer.

The UK government has taken a leading role in the fight against carbon emissions and global warming. Its strategy is partly reflected in the Code for Sustainable Homes. Among other issues discussed in the Code, it touches upon domestic water heating which will have important ramifications on the British heating industry both for new build homes and in re-development projects.

Part L1A of the building regulations is currently in force. In effect it already defines a set of targets for each property's carbon dioxide emission. The property developers have to prove in advance that once it is fully built, the property will emit less than or equal to the carbon emission target.

Part L1A was introduced in 2005 setting a target of 20% reduction in CO2 emissions for new property developments. The new Code for Sustainable Homes sets six levels of emissions reduction starting at 10% for level one, up to 'Zero Carbon' for level six. By 2016 all new dwellings have to meet the government target of 100% reduction in carbon emissions, which corresponds to level five of the Code.

The scoring for the dwellings is done according to a points system, in which every component of the home is scored based on its energy efficiency and carbon emissions. A score of 57 points is required for level three, while level six requires a score of 90 points.

It is fair to say that water heating systems currently available in the UK can meet the standard for medium levels within the Code. Still there is work to be done to make the heating systems efficient enough to meet the requirements for the top most levels, such as levels five and six.

In order to reach the new targets, some developers are voting for renewable energy technologies. For example a solar water heating system generates hot water with almost no carbon emissions. The system can be further enhanced by a high efficiency boiler or a hot water cylinder with an immersion heater to provide a reliable backup for the winters (with short and cold days).

Experts argue that the Code should be applied not only to new buildings but also to retrofit projects. Installing an energy efficient boiler or a hot water tank would benefit not only the environment, but also the home owners through reduced heating bills. A high efficiency boiler (such as an A rated condensing boiler) converts more than 90% of the input energy into usable energy, improving on previous boilers by around 30%. Similarly, a well insulated hot water cylinder will reduce heat loss during the night to near zero levels, compared with poorly insulated old cylinders.

To ensure a successful launch, it is important to verify that the UK heating industry is well prepared for the implication of the Code for Sustainable Homes. Furthermore it is expected that the Code will have a direct impact on the building regulations to be introduced in 2010 further affecting the industry.

In general, the UK industry is well positioned to benefit from technological developments and the introduction of renewable energy systems. Local manufacturers and engineers are at the cutting edge of technology and will ensure successful uptake and introduction of such technologies to the public.