Two lucky Premium Bond holders have bagged the million pound jackpot in this month’s National Savings & Investments draw.
NS&I has now made a total of 500 people millionaires since it launched the jackpot prize in 1994.
The two winners are from Sefton in Merseyside and Sheffield.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
The 499th jackpot winning bond number was 109ZT548786 held by someone in Merseyside, who holds £30,000 in premium bonds. The winning bond number was purchased in May 2006.
The 500th winning bond number is 136RN551344 held by someone in Sheffield. The winner holds £3,000 in premium bonds and purchased the winning bond in February 2008.
This month’s prize draw will see more winners after NS&I bumped up the rate on premium bonds, up from 3% to 3.15%, meaning more prize winners.
The rate rise on premium bonds is the fourth increase NS&I has made in the last 12 months in a bid to lure savers into the government backed bank.
If you have premium bonds the rate actually means the number of prizes between £50,000 and £100,000 will increase.
February premium bonds prize winners
This month, a total of 4,983,114 prizes worth £313,936,100 will be paid out to premium bond holders. There were 119,594,702,144 Bond numbers eligible for the draw.
| Value of prize | Number of prizes |
| £1,000,000 | 2 |
| £100,000 | 59 |
| £50,000 | 117 |
| £25,000 | 235 |
| £10,000 | 589 |
| £5,000 | 1,176 |
| £1,000 | 12,556 |
| £500 | 37,668 |
| £100 | 1,278,833 |
| £50 | 1,278,833 |
| £25 | 2,373,046 |
| Total: £313,936,100 | Total: £4,983,114 |
Source: NS&I
Unclaimed premium bond prizes
If you hold premium bonds and have changed your contact details, there is always a chance you have a prize with your name on it.
According to NS&I, in Sheffield alone - there are 12,244 unclaimed prizes worth £431,375. The largest unclaimed prize is £5,000 and is from the October 2011 draw.
The oldest unclaimed prize is from July 1968, worth £25.
In Sefton, there are 9,473 unclaimed prizes worth a total of £320,600, with £1,000 the highest amount unclaimed there by three bond holders. The draws were made between September 1994 and October 2020.
How to check if you’ve won a Premium Bond prize
You can see whether you’ve landed a prize in the February draw on Thursday 2 February.
Check by using the NS&I prize checker tool, or download NS&I’s prize checker app onto your smartphone.
You can even say your NS&I number to a device that has Amazon’s Alexa service, to see if your luck is in.
NS&I contacts all winners to let them know if they have won a prize - if you have registered online then you will be sent an email. Alternatively, you may be notified by a letter in the post.
This means it’s a good idea to make sure that NS&I has the correct contact details for you, to ensure you don’t miss out on a prize.
For details on the January draw, see our article on January’s premium bonds winners.
Premium Bonds vs savings accounts
This month the prize rate on Premium Bonds rose from 3% to 3.15%. The rate effectively outlines what sort of return you are likely to get if you have average luck.
However, this is not the same as an interest rate on a savings account. You are not guaranteed to earn a 3.15% return on your Premium Bond holdings - ultimately the return comes down to how lucky you are, so you could get a far better return, or you may never win a prize at all.
Those looking for a more reliable return on their cash may prefer to use a traditional savings account. If you want access to your money, then the top easy access accounts include Barclays Rainy Day Saver (5.12%), Santander Edge Saver (4%) or Chip Easy Access paying 3% interest.
There are also some high-paying regular saver accounts on the market, with First Direct still dishing out 7%.
-
August NS&I Premium Bond winners unveiled - have you scooped £1m?Two lucky NS&I Premium Bond winners are now millionaires in the August draw. Find out here if you are one of them
-
Savings rates more than double in a year as challenger banks top the best buy tables
The best savings rates have doubled - and in some cases tripled - in a year, with challenger banks offering the highest rates. While they are still no match for inflation, we look at what you could be earning.
-
Midlife MOT: what is it and who can get one?
The government has launched an online midlife MOT to help older workers with financial planning, health guidance and career skills. But how does it work, who can get one and would you pass it?
-
Coventry Building Society launches new best easy access savings account
Coventry Building Society's deal tops our easy access savings account list, but could your cash be put to better use?
-
NS&I boosts fixed-term savings rates
The NS&I, the government-backed savings institution has mirrored recent rate rises seen elsewhere in the market.
-
Should you let AI give you financial advice?
Can AI fill the financial advice gap? Kalpana Fitzpatrick looks at the pros and cons of using AI to guide your finances.
-
Small pension pots to be consolidated, says DWP
Workplace pension schemes worth less than £1,000 that become “deferred” when a saver changes jobs will be consolidated under a new system
-
Watchdog summons banks to explain paltry savings rates
Savings rates trail mortgage rates - and the financial watchdog has summoned banks to a meeting amid concerns of profiteering.
