ERNIE SHARES THE LOVE THIS FEBRUARY WITH TWO NEW PREMIUM BONDS MILLIONAIRES IN LEEDS AND ESSEX

Fresh from spreading New Year cheer, ERNIE begins February 2022 with two new Premium Bonds millionaires from Leeds and Essex.

The first Bond number drawn was 193NH145072 and belongs to a winner in Leeds. The jackpot winner holds £20,002 in Premium Bonds and purchased the winning Bond in June 2012. They become the fourth millionaire chosen by ERNIE from Leeds.

446WL848124 was the second Bond number drawn and the winner comes from Essex. The winner holds £50,000 in Premium Bonds and purchased their winning Bond in March 2021. They become the eighteenth Premium Bonds millionaire from Essex.

Fall in love with savings this Valentine’s

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 most popular savings products and are the perfect way to kick-start a savings habit, with the minimum investment starting at just £25.

Premium Bonds customers can add to their Premium Bonds holding quickly and securely, both for themselves or their child, via bank transfer. In December 2021, 216,000 customers set up a regular standing order via their bank to help them save in Premium Bonds month on month and create a regular savings habit. By topping up regularly each month, customers are giving themselves further chances to win in each monthly draw. Customers can find out how to make a bank transfer and set up a standing order into their Premium Bonds here.

Jill Waters, NS&I Retail Director, said: “A huge congratulations to our Premium Bonds jackpot winners in Leeds and Essex. ERNIE has brightened up 2022 with a truly life changing sum of money.

"Aside from the two £1 million winners, ERNIE will be paying out more than 3.3 million tax-free prizes, sharing the love of Premium Bonds prize wins up and down the country.

"It's not too late to start a savings habit for 2022, as people can invest in Premium Bonds from just £25. They can do this via bank transfer or set up a regular standing order to help them fall in love with savings this Valentine’s Day.”

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 prizes paid directly, it reduces the number of prizes that go unclaimed and means that customers can benefit from their wins more quickly. Almost nine in ten prizes are now paid directly to customers’ bank accounts or reinvested into more Bonds and this is quicker, easier and more secure for customers than receiving them via cheque in the post.

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 February’s prize draw, by using the nsandi.com prize checker, official prize checker app or their Alexa-enabled device from Wednesday 2 February 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.

February 2022 prize draw breakdown
In the February 2022 prize draw, a total of 3,363,088 prizes worth £96,688,825 will be paid out. There were 116,026,566,248 Bond numbers eligible for the draw. Since the first draw in June 1957, ERNIE has drawn 552 million prizes with a total value of £22.6 billion.

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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.