NS&I unveils new ERNIE simulator to answer questions about the Premium Bonds draw

• Venue for outside broadcasts, interviews and photo opportunities
• NS&I celebrates 50 years of Premium Bonds on 1 November

ERNIE, (Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment), is central to the whole concept of Premium Bonds as ‘he’ generates the winning numbers. Each month 23 million people place their trust in the integrity of the machine to produce Premium Bond numbers randomly.

Find out more about the history of ERNIE

Due to security reasons the real ERNIE, which is the fourth machine of its kind, has to be kept under lock and key. However, the simulator has been designed to reveal the secrets of how the famous Premium Bonds draw works in the run up to the 50th anniversary of Premium Bonds.

The media centre is available as a venue for outside broadcasts, interviews and photo opportunities.

WHEN: Available from July
WHERE: National Savings and Investments, Mythop Road, Blackpool

About Premium Bonds 

Since 1956, Premium Bonds have become increasingly popular with households all over the UK and there is currently £32 billion invested. In 2006, ERNIE will give away approximately £900 million in prizes from £50 to £1 million to lucky winners all over the UK.

Over the years, a number of myths about the Premium Bond prize draw have sprung up, from people believing the numbers are chosen by throwing darts at a dartboard to the view only high value Bonds or those bought in Surrey win prizes!

ERNIE 4 is the smallest and fastest ERNIE ever designed and uses thermal noise to generate the random numbers used for each draw.

Media materials available

• Beta footage of the ERNIE simulator and shots of a demonstration draw.
• Archive footage of all ERNIEs and draws since 1956. Still images of previous ERNIEs and photographs of ERNIE 4.
• Press releases and backgrounders.
• The engineers who developed ERNIE and Agent Million who operates the machine are also available for interview.

Key facts about ERNIE and Premium Bonds

• Over the last 50 years, four generations of ERNIE have produced the numbers for over 140 million tax-free* prizes worth £9 billion.
• Since 1994, he has created 160 millionaires.
• If ERNIE 1 was still being used today, he would take 52 days to compute a draw, compared to the 2 hours it takes ERNIE 4.
• ERNIE 1 took up 24 sq ft of floor space, whereas ERNIE 4 only takes up 0.01 sq ft.
• ERNIE 2 was designed to look like one of the sets from the Bond film ‘Goldfinger’.
• ERNIE 3 was 165 times faster than the first model. ERNIE 4 is faster still, generating numbers at a rate of over 1 million an hour.
• ERNIE has received birthday cards, Christmas cards, Valentine ’s Day cards, and even Epson salts, castor oil and holy water.

Notes to Editors

* All Premium Bond prizes are free of UK income tax and Capital Gains Tax.

About NS&I

With more than £74 billion invested and 26 million customers, National Savings and Investments is one of the UK’s largest providers of savings products to personal savers and investors. NS&I is also a government department and an Executive Agency of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.