Agent Million has knocked on doors in Norwich and Cumbria this month to surprise two lucky Premium Bonds holders with the £1 million jackpot.
The first number randomly selected by ERNIE – 176LR488412 – belongs to a woman from Norwich who bought the winning Bond in December 2010. She has £10,600 invested in Premium Bonds and will become only the second jackpot millionaire from Norwich.
The second lucky recipient is a man from Cumbria with £26,600 in Premium Bonds. His Bond number, 168TK729554, also became his ticket to an exclusive millionaire’s club. It marks the sixth time Agent Million has travelled up to the county and only two years since the last visit.
Jill Waters, Retail Director at NS&I, said:
“For the two jackpot winners, the 1st November will certainly be one they always remember as a knock on the door from Agent Million will be seen as the most welcome of treats.
“Premium Bonds are one of the most popular ways to save in the UK and this month we reached the milestone of over 50 million prizes being paid directly into winners’ bank accounts, saving them the time and effort of paying a warrant (similar to a cheque) into their bank or building society account.
“This year, we have also opened up Premium Bonds so that anyone aged 16 or over can buy them for nieces, nephews and family friends aged under 16, making them a perfect gift for Christmas, especially as the minimum investment is now just £25.”
Not a winner? Check again
For anyone who has Premium Bonds and think they have missed out on a prize, it is always worth checking if NS&I has your correct contact details. Currently there are more than 1.6 million prizes worth almost £64 million still waiting to be claimed by Premium Bond holders.
Bonds purchased for a child are often forgotten about and result in unclaimed prizes, so it is always worth checking with NS&I if there are any in your name.
In Norwich, there are 7,823 unclaimed prizes worth over £270,000. The highest value unclaimed prize in the area is £1,000 and there are seven such prizes waiting to be claimed. The oldest unclaimed prize from Norwich is worth £25 and was won in December 1971 with a £3 investment. The Bond number is CW056200.
There are 10,294 unclaimed prizes in Cumbria worth over £367,000. The highest value unclaimed prize in the area is £1,000 and there are 37 such unclaimed prizes worth between £500 and £1,000. The oldest unclaimed prize from Cumbria is £25 and was drawn in January 1969 with a total holding of £16 invested. The winning Bond number is 1JT173129.
Customers can join the growing number of Premium Bonds holders choosing to have their winnings paid directly into their bank or building society accounts, making certain that their prizes will always be claimed. A simple online registration at nsandi.com/register allows customers to manage their Premium Bonds and NS&I accounts and check their prizes.
It’s now easier than ever to check whether you have won in our monthly prize draws. Customers can use the official NS&I Premium Bonds prize checker via Amazon Alexa to allow to them to check their Bond numbers quickly and easily. Likewise, customers can also use the prize checker on nsandi.com or the official Premium Bonds prize checker app – free to download on iOS or Android.
November 2019 prize draw breakdown
In the November 2019 draw, a total of 3,415,461 prizes worth £97,625,250 will be paid out. There were 83,678,794,092 eligible Bonds for the draw.
Since the first draw in June 1957, ERNIE has drawn 459 million prizes with a total value of £20 billion.
|
VALUE OF PRIZES |
NUMBER OF PRIZES |
|
£1,000,000 |
2 |
|
£100,000 |
6 |
|
£50,000 |
11 |
|
£25,000 |
23 |
|
£10,000 |
58 |
|
£5,000 |
115 |
|
£1,000 |
1,953 |
|
£500 |
5,859 |
|
£100 £50 £25 |
26,769 26,769 3,353,896 |
|
Total £97,625,250 |
Total 3,415,461 |
Notes to Editors
- 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
- All Premium Bonds prizes are free of UK Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax.
- 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.
- The annual Premium Bonds prize fund rate is currently 1.40% and the odds of each individual Bond number winning any prize are currently 24,500 to 1.
- 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.
- Customers can buy Premium Bonds online at nsandi.com and over the phone by calling 08085 007 007. This is a free phone number and calls to it from the UK are free from both landlines and mobiles. Calls may be recorded. Customers can also buy by post. Existing customers can also buy by bank transfer and standing order. Each investment must be at least £25.
- 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: Premium Bonds made by ERNIE.