Plumbers can expand their skill set and increase their customer base by completing green energy courses.

Kevin McCallister, the newly appointed National President for the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC), said that the employees in the industry should take advantage of green energy courses as it will make them more profitable.

Mr McCallister, who manages the Technical Services business within E.ON Property Services, said that he is committed to educating plumbers about the benefits of being able to install energy efficient appliances.

Plumbers at Kevin McCallister's company have already completed the appropriate green energy courses and he said he would use his year as APHC President to push the renewable power message.

"We have trained our plumbing and heating engineers to install heat pumps of both air and ground source, install solar panels and the necessary controls to make them run at optimum efficiency," he added.

Mr McCallister also said that the growing popularity of renewable power technologies represented an exciting opportunity for the industry and plumbers should exploit this emerging niche market.

He said: "I want the industry to take note that installing renewables is simply an extension of the plumbing and heating industry's core skills."

It is essential that all plumbers pass green energy courses before they install appliances such as ground source heat pumps and air source pumps as untrained tradesmen will tarnish the industry's reputation with their incompetence.

Green energy courses will also give plumbers the skills to install technologies such as under floor hot water heating systems, solar panels, rainwater harvesting systems and wind turbines.

People who pass plumbing courses may find themselves working for a variety of famous faces as becoming a plumber will give you the opportunity to operate in the homes of celebrities.

Angie Lyons, owner of My Plumber, revealed that some of her celebrity customers include Ant McPartlin, Jeremy Vine and Rula Lenska while Pimlico Plumbers have claimed that their clients are Hollywood heavyweights Keira Knightley and Hugh Grant.

Research by The Chartered Institute of Building revealed that nearly eight in ten construction firms had trouble recruiting staff during the past decade partly because workers did not possess the necessary skills.

Construction workers should ensure that they have accredited qualifications before applying for a job as this will help them secure employment more easily especially during a skills shortage where employees are in demand.

BBC News reported that self-employed plumbers in London can expect to earn up to £50,000 a year.