Christmas comes early for two Premium Bonds millionaires from the Scottish Highlands and Wandsworth

The last Premium Bonds jackpot winners of 2022 come from the Scottish Highlands and Wandsworth

The first winning Bond number drawn was 414XW486235 and belongs to a winner in the Scottish Highlands. The jackpot winner holds £45,000 in Premium Bonds and purchased the winning Bond in September 2020. The win makes them the first winner from the Scottish Highlands.

The second winning Bond number drawn was 159FZ477948 and the winner comes from Wandsworth. The winner holds £29,042 in Premium Bonds and purchased their winning Bond in August 2009. They are the second millionaire from Wandsworth.

Jill Waters, NS&I Retail Director, said: “A massive congratulations to our two Premium Bonds jackpot winners from the Scottish Highlands and Wandsworth – their win has come just in time to make this Christmas an extra special one.

“With over 4.9 million prizes up for grabs this month, worth nearly £219 million, Premium Bonds holders up and down the country will be getting a fantastic early Christmas present from ERNIE ahead of the festivities kicking off. This Christmas, you can also give the gift of Premium Bonds to children and help kick start a healthy savings habit from just £25.”

Each month, the two Premium Bonds jackpot winners are visited by NS&I’s Agents Million, who gives them news about their win in person.

The Agent Million responsible for the Scottish Highlands delivery said: “It was the first time that myself or any of the other Agents Million had made the journey from the home of Premium Bonds in Lytham to the Highlands of Scotland. It was a long trip up there, but it was worth it for the joy that our winner had when I told them that they had won the £1 million jackpot. I’m sure that our winner in Wandsworth will be equally delighted by this windfall win.”

Ho Ho Hop into savings this Christmas

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. 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 and set up a standing order into their Premium Bonds here.

December 2022 prize draw breakdown
In the December 2022 prize draw, a total of 4,977,130 prizes worth £218,993,750 will be paid out. There were 119,451,133,299 Bond numbers eligible for the draw. Since the first draw in July 1957, ERNIE has drawn 596 million prizes with a total value of £24 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 the Scottish Highlands, there are 6,259 unclaimed prizes worth £198,450. The largest unclaimed prize is £1,000 and there are four of these that were won between the March 1994 and November 2020 prize draws. The oldest unclaimed prize in the Scottish Highlands is from September 1969 and is worth £25.

In Wandsworth, there are 20,622 unclaimed prizes with a total value of £698,600. £5,000 is the largest unclaimed prize in Wandsworth and is from the December 1977 prize draw. The oldest unclaimed prize is from November 1963 and is worth £25.

The best way to ensure that prizes do not go unclaimed is for customers to have them paid directly into their bank account or automatically reinvested into more Premium Bonds. Getting prizes paid directly is also quicker and more secure, with more than nine in ten prizes now paid this way. Customers can find out how to do this here.

Customers that think they may have an unclaimed Premium Bonds prize can 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 December’s prize draw, by using the nsandi.com prize checker, official prize checker app or their Alexa-enabled device from Friday 2 December 2022. 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 27 September 2022 that the Premium Bonds prize fund rate would increase from 1.40% to 2.20%, with the odds changing from 24,500 to 1 to 24,000 to 1.
2. The changes were effective from the October 2022 prize draw and more information can be found here.
3. NS&I announced interest rate increases across its fixed and variable products on 25 October 2022. Details of the changes 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.