Two fortunate individuals holding Premium Bonds in Liverpool and Bedfordshire have each won a £1 million prize, as confirmed by the National Savings & Investments. The first £1 million winning bond number, 489TB013219, belongs to a person from Central Bedfordshire who bought the bond in February 2022 and holds the maximum allowable amount of £50,000. The second £1 million jackpot bond number, 040QJ919368, is held by someone in Liverpool who also holds the maximum £50,000 and purchased the bond in October 2004.
These winners are part of over 6.1 million prizes totaling £408 million drawn by ERNIE this month. ERNIE, the Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment, utilizes advanced technology to generate random numbers for the monthly prize draw. With this month’s draw, the total amount awarded to Premium Bonds holders has reached £40 billion since the initiative started in 1957, resulting in 815 million prizes over the years.
While two individuals secured £1 million each, most prizes are of smaller denominations. Notably, 78 bond holders won £100,000 each, and 154 received £50,000 each. On the lower end, there were 2,643,007 prizes worth £25 each.
Andrew Westhead, NS&I retail director, congratulated the two jackpot winners from Central Bedfordshire and Liverpool, each becoming £1 million richer at the start of February. He highlighted that ERNIE had spread joy before Valentine’s Day and expressed hope for celebrations among the winners and their loved ones.
Premium Bonds provide a tax-free chance for savers to set aside money with opportunities to win prizes. Individuals can hold up to £50,000 in Premium Bonds, supported by the Treasury. Newly purchased bonds must be held for a full calendar month before being eligible for the prize draw.
The jackpot prize was raised to £1 million starting from the April 1994 draw, and now, two £1 million prizes are awarded each month. Bond holders can check their winnings using the Premium Bonds prize checker app or by visiting the NS&I website. Notifications of winnings are sent via email or text to registered individuals.
NS&I cautioned that failing to update contact or bank details could result in missing out on prizes. Currently, over 2.7 million unclaimed prizes worth nearly £114.8 million are waiting to be claimed.