ERNIE MAKES 2022 THE HAPPIEST NEW YEAR FOR TWO NEW PREMIUM BONDS MILLIONAIRES IN HERTFORDSHIRE AND LANCASHIRE

2022 begins with two Premium Bonds millionaires from Hertfordshire and Lancashire.

The first Bond number drawn was 258VJ570205 and belongs to a winner in Hertfordshire. The jackpot winner holds £50,000 in Premium Bonds and purchased the winning Bond in October 2015. They become the fourteenth millionaire chosen by ERNIE from Hertfordshire.

127VF630970 was the second Bond number drawn and the winner comes from ERNIE’s home county of Lancashire. The winner holds £30,000 in Premium Bonds and purchased their winning Bond in May 2007. They become the fourteenth Premium Bonds millionaire from Lancashire and the second jackpot winner from the county in consecutive months.

Start the New Year with a savings habit

Aside from the two new millionaires, there were over 3.3 million other prizes paid out this month worth between £25 and £100,000. Premium Bonds are one of the nation’s best-loved savings products and are the perfect way to kick start a new savings habit in 2022, with people able to invest from just £25.  

Premium Bonds customers can add to their Premium Bonds holding quickly and securely, for themselves or their child via bank transfer. To start the New Year, customers can also set up a regular standing order which can create a regular savings habit. By topping up regularly each month, customers are giving themselves further chances to win prizes each month. Customers can find out how to make a bank transfer into their Premium Bonds and set up a standing order here.  

Receive Premium Bonds prizes faster

Customers can choose to have their prizes paid directly to their bank account or have their wins automatically reinvested into more Premium Bonds. By having them paid directly it reduces the number of prizes that go unclaimed. Almost nine in ten prizes are now paid using these options which are quicker, easier and more secure than receiving them via cheque.

Customers can find out more about the benefits of getting their prizes paid directly into their bank accounts or automatically reinvested into more Premium Bonds here.

Premium Bonds holders can check to see if they have won a prize in January’s prize draw, by using the nsandi.com prize checker, official prize checker app or their Alexa-enabled device from Wednesday 5 January 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.

Jill Waters, NS&I Retail Director, said: “A massive congratulations to our Premium Bonds jackpot winners in Hertfordshire and Lancashire. It’s a brilliant start to the New Year and we wish them all the best for 2022 and beyond.

“We would like to wish all of our customers a Happy New Year, with the start of 2022 being the perfect time to start a new savings habit. Customers can invest in Premium Bonds from just £25 and can even set up a standing order via their bank to help them save regularly and build up a savings pot.”

January 2022 prize draw breakdown
In the January 2022 prize draw, a total of 3,352,872 prizes worth £96,395,075 will be paid out. There were 115,674,095,010 Bond numbers eligible for the draw. Since the first draw in June 1957, ERNIE has drawn 549 million prizes with a total value of £22.5 billion.

Notes to Editors

1. 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
2. All Premium Bonds prizes are free of UK Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax.
3. 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.
4. The annual Premium Bonds prize fund rate is currently 1.00% and the odds of each Bond number winning any prize are currently 34,500 to 1. The prize fund rate and the odds of winning are variable, so they can change from time to time.
5. Pictures of ERNIE 5, the previous ERNIEs and Premium Bonds, including the Premium Bonds app, are available in high-resolution jpeg format from the NS&I media team.
6. 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.