British Gas central heating engineers have got used to their Transit vans — and it seems they don’t want to part with them.

The firm has just ordered 520 new Transits to replace its current fleet, saying that the choice was a “no brainer” from both a financial and a driver perspective.

Brentwood-based Ford has long been the top choice of UK van fleets, and this latest order from British Gas should help cement the firm’s position at the top of the pecking list — and with good reason, as British Gas fleet manager Colin Marriott explains:

“It was a no-brainer really, the vans used by our central heating installation engineers are a vital resource for them and they love the Transit. When we asked, they said: ‘Give us the same again, please.’ On top of that, by sticking with the same body shape, we have been able to take fantastic advantage of being able to recycle all the racking systems, saving tons of steel, energy and a lot of money.”

The Transit also offers class-leading economy and low emissions from its Dagenham-built 125PS 2.2-litre TDCi diesel engine, and the vans meet British Gas’ sophisticated vehicle whole life cost model, which determines the replacement timing for its vehicles.

All the Ford Transit vans being supplied are 330 medium wheelbase, medium roof models, equipped with air-conditioning, speed limiter and winter tyres, enabling the engineers to carry out their work in the toughest of environments. Thirty-two of the vans will be four-wheel drive versions, which will be located strategically around the country by British Gas, for use in the most severe weather.