Two fortunate Premium Bond holders from Liverpool and Bedfordshire have each won a £1 million prize, as confirmed by National Savings & Investments, a government-backed institution. The first winning Bond number, 489TB013219, worth £1 million, belongs to a person in Central Bedfordshire who purchased the Bond in February 2022, maxing out the allowed limit of £50,000. The second £1 million prize, Bond number 040QJ919368, is held by an individual in Liverpool who bought the winning Bond in October 2004, also up to the £50,000 limit.
These winners are among the 6.1 million Premium Bond prize winners this month, with a total prize pool of £408 million drawn by ERNIE, the Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment. ERNIE generates random numbers using cutting-edge technology for the monthly prize draw, totaling £40 billion in prizes since the inception of Premium Bonds in 1957, with 815 million prizes awarded thus far.
While two individuals won £1 million each, the majority of prizes are of smaller denominations. Notably, 78 Bond holders received £100,000 each, and 154 were awarded £50,000 each. Additionally, 2,643,007 prizes worth £25 each were distributed.
Andrew Westhead, NS&I’s retail director, congratulated the two jackpot winners from Central Bedfordshire and Liverpool, highlighting the £408 million in prizes distributed this month, bringing the total to £40 billion since 1957. Premium Bonds offer a tax-free saving option with a chance to win prizes, allowing individuals to hold up to £50,000, backed by the Treasury. New Premium Bonds must be held for a full calendar month before becoming eligible for the prize draw.
The jackpot prize was raised to £1 million in April 1994, with two £1 million prizes now awarded monthly. Bond holders can check their winnings via the Premium Bonds prize checker app or NS&I website the day after the first working day of each month, such as February 3 this month. Winners receive notifications via email or text if they have registered their contact details, but NS&I cautioned that unclaimed prizes totaling nearly £114.8 million remain, urging customers to keep their details updated to avoid missing out on potential winnings.