July’s Premium Bonds millionaires come from Staffordshire and Norfolk

In the month that the Premium Bonds prize fund rate hit 3.70% - the highest in 15 years – Staffordshire and Norfolk are home to the two £1 million jackpot winners.

The increase to the Premium Bonds prize fund rate means that, this month, there are also more higher value prizes up for grabs, with 142 £50,000 prizes as well as 71 £100,000 prizes.

This month, the first Bond number drawn by ERNIE was 493HK711899 and is held by a winner based in Staffordshire. The winner holds £48,750 in Premium Bonds and purchased their winning Bond in March 2022. This win makes them the fifth millionaire from Staffordshire.

The second Premium Bonds millionaire is based in Norfolk and holds Bond number 246DR645231. The winner has £20,000 in Premium Bonds and purchased their winning Bond in May 2015. They become just the second jackpot winner in Norfolk.

Sally Swait, NS&I Retail Assistant Director, said: “Congratulations to our two millionaires from Staffordshire and Norfolk – £1 million is a life changing amount of money and we hope our jackpot winners each enjoy their winnings.

“This is the highest rate the prize fund has been in over 15 years, meaning this month we paid out a total of 5 million prizes worth over £374 million. The Premium Bonds prize fund is going up again for the August draw too, with the odds improving as well, meaning more wins and more excitement each month for savers up and down the country.”

Last week, NS&I announced that from the August 2023 draw the Premium Bonds prize fund rate will increase to 4.00%, with the odds of winning improving from 24,000 to 1 to 22,000 to 1.

Summer savings with Premium Bonds
Premium Bonds are one of the nation's most popular savings products. They are the perfect way to start a savings habit, with the minimum investment starting at £25.

Premium Bonds customers can add to their Premium Bonds holding quickly and securely, both for themselves or their child, via bank transfer or online. By topping up regularly each month, customers are giving themselves further chances to win in the monthly Premium Bonds prize draws. Customers can find out how to make a bank transfer, pay online or set up a standing order into their Premium Bonds here.

July 2023 prize draw breakdown
In the July 2023 prize draw, a total of 5,061,349 prizes worth £374,539,700 will be paid out. There were 121,472,335,344 Bond numbers eligible for the draw. Since the first draw in June 1957, ERNIE has drawn 631 million prizes with a total value of £26.4 billion.

Unclaimed prizes

Premium Bonds prize winners are notified when they win a prize, but sometimes people move or change their contact details without letting NS&I know – this can lead to unclaimed prizes if they have opted to receive their prize by cheque.

In Staffordshire, there are 18,436 unclaimed prizes worth £563,575. The largest unclaimed prize is worth £10,000. There are two of these in total and they were won in the February 2001 and August 2007 prize draws. The oldest unclaimed prize in Staffordshire is from 63 years ago, in July 1960, and is worth £25.

In Norfolk, there are 20,054 unclaimed prizes with a total value of £591,175. The largest unclaimed prize is £25,000 and is from the July 2021 prize draw. The oldest unclaimed prize in Norfolk is from July 1968 and is worth £25.

The best way for customers to ensure that prizes do not go unclaimed is to have them automatically paid directly into their bank account or reinvested into more Premium Bonds. More than nine in ten prizes are now paid this way as it is quicker and more secure than waiting for a cheque. Customers can find out how to switch here.

Customers that think they may have an unclaimed Premium Bonds prize can easily check by using NS&I’s online prize checker or the prize checker app.

Checking prizes
Premium Bonds holders can check to see if they have won a prize in July’s prize draw from Tuesday 4 July 2023. They can do this by using the nsandi.com prize checker, official prize checker app or their Alexa-enabled device. Customers will need their Premium Bonds holder’s number to use the website and their NS&I number or holder’s number to check via the prize checker app. At the same time, they can check for any unclaimed prizes owed to them.

Notes to Editors

1. NS&I announced on 20 June 2023 that the Premium Bonds prize fund rate would increase from 3.30% to 3.70%, with the odds remaining at 24,000 to 1. Details of all the changes can be seen here.
2. NS&I announced on 30 June 2023 that the Premium Bonds prize fund rate from the August 2023 draw would increase from 3.70% to 4.00%, with the odds improving from 24,000 to 1 to 22,000 to 1. Details of all the changes can be seen here.
3. NS&I also announced changes to its Direct ISA, effective from 16 May 2023. Details on this can be seen here.
4. NS&I has spokespeople available for interview, including Agent Million, as well as a wealth of national and regional facts and figures about Premium Bonds. If you require any further details, please contact the NS&I media team on the contact details below or tweet your question to @nsandi.
5. All Premium Bonds prizes are free of UK Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax.
6. NS&I is one of the largest savings organisations in the UK, offering a range of savings and investments to 25 million customers. All products offer 100% capital security as NS&I is backed by HM Treasury.
7. Further information on NS&I, including press releases and product information, is available on the website at nsandi.com. Follow us on Twitter: @nsandi or join the conversation on Facebook: NS&I.