The February 2025 Premium Bonds draw has revealed two fortunate winners, both scooping top prizes of £1 million, according to the latest announcement by National Savings and Investments (NS&I). This month’s draw saw over £430 million distributed across more than 5.8 million prizes, making it one of the largest prize draws yet.
The first of the million-pound winners is from Kirklees. This lucky holder, who purchased their winning bond back in January 2009, holds £50,000 worth of Premium Bonds. The winning bond number is 150EN423722. Meanwhile, the second million-pound prize went to a winner based in Sheffield, who has £10,000 invested and bought their bond last September, with the winning number being 513EP525664. Sheffield now proudly boasts its fourth Premium Bonds millionaire.
According to Andrew Westhead, NS&I Retail Director, “We’re delighted to announce February’s Premium Bonds draw has brought million-pound wins to Kirklees and Sheffield. The Sheffield win marks the city’s fourth Premium Bonds millionaire and is exactly two years since the last jackpot win there in February 2023.” Westhead continued, “Yorkshire and the Humber may be on a jackpot winning streak, but thanks to ERNIE, more than £430 million in prizes have gone to bond holders up and down the country this month.”
For those unfamiliar with how Premium Bonds work, they are an investment product offering individuals the chance to win tax-free cash prizes, instead of earning interest. Each £1 bond entered gives the holder the thrill of potentially winning prizes ranging from £25 to £1 million, all backed by the UK Government. During the February draw, there were 129,015,731,952 eligible bond numbers, and the current prize fund rate stands at 4 percent.
This month, 81 additional bond holders won the second-largest prize category of £100,000, and over 150 participants took home £50,000 each. The total number of high-value prizes reached 20,238. This indicates strong engagement with Premium Bonds, emphasizing their appeal as both savings vehicles and opportunities for substantial winnings.
For those who wish to find out if they’ve won, checking on winnings is straightforward. The NS&I offers various methods to confirm if you are among the lucky winners; these include accessing the information via their official website or using the prize checker app. Bond holders require either their bond holder’s number or NS&I number based on their registration details.
Interestingly, unclaimed prizes remain significant, with 2,516,285 unclaimed Premium Bonds prizes amounting to around £93,830,100 waiting to be claimed. For residents of Kirklees, 9,684 unclaimed prizes worth £348,250 still exist, with the largest unclaimed prize having stood at £1,000 and dating back to 1995. Similarly, Sheffield residents have 6,668 unclaimed prizes available worth £248,450, which includes several substantial figures dating back decades.
Premium Bonds not only serve as a potential path to financial growth through prize winnings but also help instill savings habits among individuals. With the minimum investment starting at £25, many find Premium Bonds to be the perfect way to save — all the more exciting considering the chance of winning big prizes. The approach of combining security with the excitement of potentially large payouts can be intriguing for many savers.
To recap the various prize distributions this month: no £1 million wins occurred outside of Kirklees and Sheffield, but significant wins were reported across the country. For example, four individuals from Lancashire each earned £100,000, with other big winners ranging from £1,000 to £50,000 throughout the UK.
With the draw just concluded, the anticipation surrounding the next month’s Premium Bonds draw is palpable. Whether you’re checking your own numbers or hearing tales of lucky winners, the thrill of the game and the possibility of unearthing hidden treasures surely add to the excitement of saving.
The full list of all winners for February 2025 can be viewed on the NS&I website. Now’s the time for Premium Bonds holders to check their numbers — could you be the next lucky winner? Remember, whether your winnings are big or small, every little helps on the path to financial wellbeing!