ERNIE SPRINGS INTO MARCH WITH TWO NEW PREMIUM BONDS MILLIONAIRES IN DEVON AND CHESHIRE

March begins with two new Premium Bonds millionaires from Devon and Cheshire.

The first Bond number drawn was 170MY806167 and belongs to a winner in Devon. The jackpot winner holds £36,000 in Premium Bonds and purchased the winning Bond in July 2010. They become the seventeenth millionaire chosen by ERNIE from Devon.

The second Bond number drawn was 276RS522196 and the winner comes from Cheshire. The winner holds £19,000 in Premium Bonds and purchased their winning Bond in July 2016. The win makes them the tenth Premium Bonds millionaire from Cheshire.

Let your savings blossom this March

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 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 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 massive congratulations to our new Premium Bonds jackpot winners from Devon and Cheshire. This really is a life-changing sum of money and we wish them all the best for the future.

“Aside from our two jackpot winners, this month, ERNIE will be paying out more than 3.3 million other tax-free prizes worth £97,337,100, surprising and delighting people up and down the country.

“You can start a savings habit by investing in Premium Bonds from just £25. You can do this via bank transfer or by setting up a regular standing order. A regular savings habit really is the best way to help your savings blossom this March.”

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

March 2022 prize draw breakdown
In the March 2022 prize draw, a total of 3,385,641 prizes worth £97,337,100 will be paid out. There were 116,804,536,571 Bond numbers eligible for the draw. Since the first draw in June 1957, ERNIE has drawn 555 million prizes with a total value of £22.7 billion.

-Ends-

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.

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