If you have a copper cylinder and you have cold or luke warm water coming from water coming from the hot taps? Try the following (1) on one side of the cylinder there should be two copper pipes entering the side of the tank at approx 1/3 and 2/3 of the height of the tank. If so, one of those two types comes from the gas boiler with hot water enters a "coil" inside the cylinder, exchanges heat with the cold water in the cylinder and then leaves the cylinder to return to the boiler. Often there is a valve with a wheel on it on one of those pipes to regulate the flow of hot water going to the cylinder and balance the flow of hot water going to the radiators. If there is such a valve with a wheel on top, open the valve (anti clockwise) half way (say 1.5 turns for now). Turn on the boiler and check that hot water reaches the cylinder from the boiler on one of the two pipes. (2). If not, is you hot water controlled by a time clock and thermostat or "zone controller" ? Is there a thermostat attached to the side of the copper cylinder by a spring (think of a white rubber band). If so, turn the thermostat up up approx 60 for now and with the boiler running check the two copper pipes again. Are the hot now ? If not, is check that the zone controller or time clock that calls up the hot water is set to "on" and with the boiler running check the copper pipes on the side of the cylinder again. Hot now? If not, there is a good chance your hot water is controlled by either a "motorised valve" or a manual valve where the Installer gave you the option to have hot water without radiators (summer for example) or to lower the costs of running the hot water and radiators.
Let's begin with general statements, depending on the age of your home it could be either manual or motorised valves so IF you have a "zone controller" with on / off and boost for rads and hot water you probably also have motorised valves. If you have motorised valves look in the hot press for a "box" sitting on top of one or more copper pipes with an electrical cable attached. Also look above and below the gas boiler. The valve for the hot water is most likely in the hot press close to the two pipes already described entering the side of the cylinder. If there is such a device there will also be a little lever which will allow you to activate the valve manually and get the hot water circulating.
If there is a manual valve in the hot press , open all valves for a time and with the boiler running identify the valve that needs to be open to get the hot water from the boiler to heat your hot water.
Finally, if all of this fails l, you almost certainly have an immersion heater in the cylinder with an electrical cable going to a wall switch with on / off and sink / bath settings. Select on and sink to test the immersion and allow 90 mins for the heater to heat the water in the top section of the tank. Select bath to heat the full tank.