Sheffield jackpot winner is the 500th Premium Bonds millionaire after landmark draw

Agent Million delivered the news to the February winners in Sheffield and Sefton after the jackpot numbers were drawn by the National Savings and Investments’ famous random number generator ERNIE.

With NS&I announcing February’s Premium Bonds prize fund rate at 3.15 per cent, this month’s draw will see nearly five million prizes paid out worth £313,936,100.

The Premium Bonds prize fund rate is the fourth increase in less than a year.

The 499th jackpot winning Bond number drawn was 109ZT548786 and is held by a winner based in Sefton, Merseyside, and this winner holds £30,000 in Premium Bonds and purchased their winning Bond in May 2006.

And the second winning Bond number drawn was 136RN551344 and belongs to a winner in Sheffield. This win makes them the 500th Premium Bonds millionaire. They hold £3,000 in Premium Bonds and purchased the winning Bond in February 2008.

Since the £1 million prize was launched in April 1994, only 33 winners have won with a holding worth less than the Sheffield winner.

Jill Waters, NS&I Retail Director, said: “February 2023 is a month to remember for Premium Bonds. Not only has the prize fund rate reached its highest level in 14 years, but we’ve now created an amazing 500 Premium Bonds millionaires since 1994 thanks to today’s landmark draw.

“What a story for that 500th £1million winner – this customer from Sheffield holds £3,000 in Premium Bonds, which is one of the lowest value holdings to ever scoop the coveted jackpot prize since it was launched. Their investment 15 years ago has paid off for them, along with our Sefton winner who bought their winning Bond almost 17 years ago. Massive congratulations to both of them and here’s to the next 500 Premium Bonds millionaires.”

Premium Bonds are a popular savings product with the minimum investment starting at £25 and by topping up regularly each month, customers are giving themselves further chances to win in the monthly Premium Bonds prize draws.In the February 2023 prize draw, 4,983,114 prizes worth £313,936,100 will be paid out. There were 119,594,702,144 Bond numbers eligible for the draw. Since the first draw in July 1957, ERNIE has drawn 606 million prizes with a total value of £24.7 billion.Premium Bonds prize winners are notified when they win a prize, but sometimes people move or change their contact details without letting NS&I know which leads to unclaimed prizes if they have opted to receive their prize by cheque.

In Sheffield, there are 12,244 unclaimed prizes worth £431,375. The largest unclaimed prize is £5,000 and is from the October 2011 prize draw. The oldest unclaimed prize in Sheffield is from July 1968 and is worth £25.

The best way to ensure prizes do not go unclaimed is to have them paid directly into their bank account or reinvested into more bonds.

Customers can check by using NS&I’s online prize checker or the prize checker app.Premium Bonds holders can check to see if they have won a prize in February’s prize draw, by using the nsandi.com prize checker, official prize checker app or their Alexa-enabled device from February 2, 2023.