LESS IS SOMETIMES MORE IN ERNIE’S PREMIUM BONDS DRAW

After the launch of Premium Bonds in November 1956, savers across the nation waited with bated breath for the first draw in June 1957. Ever since then, ERNIE has randomly generated numbers, sharing out millions of tax-free prizes both large and small.

Higher value prizes can sometimes feel out of reach for savers with more modest holdings, but each £1 Bond has an equal chance of winning, no matter where or when it was first bought. The most recent draw in September 2020 proved that sometimes all it takes is a little patience for that future Premium Bonds big win.

Good things come to those who wait

One lucky Bond holder living in Northern Ireland did just that, and after more than a sixty year wait, won £1,000 in September 2020’s draw, having purchased the Bonds back in March 1959. Their total holding was only £310. Another winner, this time based in Cambridgeshire, also won £1,000 with a total of just £5 invested. These Bonds were purchased in December 1966, more than 50 years ago.

Smaller holdings still win big

For some in the most recent Premium Bonds draw, the wait was a little less but the rewards just as great. One Bond holder in Oxfordshire won £25,000, having only invested £306 and with their Bonds purchased in August 1994. Another big win in Oxfordshire saw a lucky recipient scoop a £10,000 prize, with a total holding value of just £900, showing how smaller holdings can still win big, while a lucky Bond holder in Avon, who purchased their winning Bonds back in January 2008, also landed a £50,000 prize with a modest £1,300 invested.

A Bond holder from South Yorkshire showed that old prizes and small holdings can yield great rewards. A total holding of just £10, and the winning Bond purchased in February 1978, saw them scoop a £5,000 prize in the September draw.

In 2020 two new jackpot millionaires have already been made with holdings of less than £10,000. A man from Surrey with £4,014 invested and a woman in Cumbria with £5,900 invested each won the top prize in the February and August draws respectively.

Jill Waters, NS&I Retail Director, said:

“Each £1 Bond has the same chance of winning a prize no matter where or when it was first purchased – even Bonds bought in the early days are still in with a chance to win. One lucky Bond holder in Northern Ireland has done just that and scooped a £1,000 tax-free prize with a Bond that was purchased in March 1959. It pays to register your Bonds online to make it as easy as possible for NS&I to let you know when you’ve won.

“It also goes to show that even small investments can pay off in the end. Customers also have the option to auto-reinvest their prizes below £5,000, meaning they have more Bonds eligible to win prizes.”

Premium Bonds holders can keep track of their prizes by using the NS&I Premium Bonds prize checker app , which is free to download, and lets customers check if they’ve won a prize in the past six months, and any unclaimed prizes. Customers can also check if they have won a prize by using the Premium Bonds prize checker on nsandi.com .

Customers can arrange to have any future prizes paid straight in to their bank account if they are registered for NS&I’s online service and have an email address or mobile phone number. Customers should visit nsandi.com and click ‘Log in’, go to ’Your profile’ and select ‘Your prize options’. Premium Bonds holders can choose to have any of their future wins reinvested to increase their chances of winning. You can find out more information about how to reinvest prizes here .

Top five biggest returns in the September 2020 prize draw

Top five oldest winning Premium Bonds prizes in September 2020

Top five smallest total value of holding for prizes won in September 2020

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Notes to Editors

1. NS&I has spokespeople available for interview, including Agent Million, as well as a wealth of facts and figures (including regional) 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, because NS&I is backed by HM Treasury.

4. The annual Premium Bonds prize fund rate is 1.40% and the odds of each individual Bond number winning any prize are 24,500 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. NS&I is urging customers to go online to nsandi.com if they need help to manage their savings during the Coronavirus pandemic. NS&I is currently receiving more calls than usual and it is taking longer than normal to help customers. Customers should use nsandi.com to deal with their queries, so that those who are most in need, such as those who do not have access to the internet or those who require critically urgent help, can deal with NS&I by phone. Customers should also only send NS&I anything by post if they have no other choice.

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.

In 2020 two new jackpot millionaires have been made with holdings of less than £10,000

• A £5 Bond bought in December 1966 scooped a £1,000 prize in September
• And a £10 Bond bought in February 1978 won £5,000 – a 500 fold increase on the original investment more than 40 years ago