JUNE IS FILLED WITH CELEBRATIONS AS ERNIE TURNS 65 WITH WINNERS FROM ESSEX AND KIRKLEES

On this day 65 years ago, the first ever Premium Bonds draw took place. Today, ERNIE celebrates its 65th birthday and two Premium Bonds jackpot winners – the first from Essex and the second from Kirklees – are both £1 million richer. The £1 million jackpot is 1,000 times larger than the £1,000 jackpot prize was in June 1957.

The first winning Bond number drawn was 281YT705546 and it belongs to a winner in Essex. The jackpot winner holds £10,001 in Premium Bonds and purchased the winning Bond in September 2016. They become the nineteenth millionaire chosen by ERNIE from Essex.

The second winning Bond number drawn was 464SG223887 and the winner comes from Kirklees. The winner holds £50,000 in Premium Bonds and purchased their winning Bond in July 2021. The win makes them just the second Premium Bonds millionaire from Kirklees.

Jill Waters, NS&I Retail Director, said: “There are so many reasons to celebrate Premium Bonds this month. Firstly, we were pleased to announce the increase of Premium Bonds prize fund rate from 1.00% to 1.40%, effective from this month’s draw, which will see an extra 1.4 million prizes paid out.

“The 65th anniversary of ERNIE's first draw is also a momentous occasion. The thrill of saving with Premium Bonds is still as present today as it was in 1957 and I am sure that is something our two jackpot winners from Essex and Kirklees would agree with.

“Premium Bonds have really changed over the years, with the first draw having 23,142 prizes and this month’s draw seeing a total of 4,823,067 prizes – a record number for a Premium Bonds prize draw. Happy Birthday, ERNIE – here’s to another 65 years of Premium Bonds.”

Increased prize fund rate means more chances of winning

There were over 4.8 million other prizes drawn 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 .

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. More than nine in ten prizes are now paid directly to customers’ bank accounts or reinvested into more Bonds. This is quicker, easier and more secure for customers than receiving prizes 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 June’s prize draw, by using the nsandi.com prize checker, official prize checker app or their Alexa-enabled device from Thursday 2 June 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.

June 2022 prize draw breakdown
In the June 2022 prize draw, a total of 4,823,067 prizes worth £137,859,350 will be paid out. There were 118,165,160,763 Bond numbers eligible for the draw. Since the first draw in June 1957, ERNIE has drawn 567 million prizes with a total value of £23 billion.

-Ends-

Notes to Editors

1. NS&I announced on 24 May 2022 that the Premium Bonds prize fund rate would increase from 1.00% to 1.40%, with the odds changing from 34,500 to 1 to 24,500 to 1. The changes are effective from the June 2022 prize draw and more information can be found here .

2. To celebrate the 65^th anniversary of the Premium Bonds draw, NS&I released archive imagery associated with Premium Bonds. This includes ERNIE through the years, photography from the first ever draw, and examples of early advertising. The full press release can be seen here .

3. 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

4. All Premium Bonds prizes are free of UK Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax.

5. 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.

6. 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.

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.

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