Press Release

FEBRUARY'S £1 MILLION JACKPOT WINNING NUMBERS

1 February 2006

One million other tax-free prizes worth over £73m also awarded

Number 1 A man living in Staffordshire Bond number: 4AQ322378 Bought in January 2003 Bond Value: £5,000 Total holdings: £30,000

Number 2 A man living in County Down Bond number: 72EJ540235 Bought in August 2003 Bond Value: £5,000 Total holdings: £29,500

Staffordshire winner to boost retirement savings

The winner from Staffordshire - who has chosen to remain anonymous - said: "This is such a surprise! I have been hoping for a visit from Agent Million ever since I bought my first Premium Bonds but I never thought I could be that lucky.  This is exactly why I love Premium Bonds - it's such an exciting way to invest! I haven't decided how I will be spending the prize money yet, definitely some treats but most of it will probably go towards boosting my retirement savings." 

Winner from County Down

The winner from County Down, who is also keeping his identity a closely-guarded secret, exclaimed: "What an incredible windfall!  I have been buying Premium Bonds as part of my long-term savings because they are safe and tax-free, but I never expected such great returns.  This amazing win could not have come at a better time for me!  I have been looking forward to doing some travelling and the prize money will certainly be handy.

The winners were told in person by NS&I's Agent Millions - M1 and M2 - the mystery people who pay a personal visit to the jackpot winners to give them the good news.

Regional facts

In Staffordshire, over 340,000 people own Premium Bonds worth approximately £289 million.  There are over 3,000 unclaimed prizes in the county, worth almost £250,000.  This is the second time someone from Staffordshire has scooped the jackpot.

In County Down, more than 72,000 people own Premium Bonds worth over £67 million.  There are 1,300 unclaimed prizes in the area, worth £80,000.  This is the first time a jackpot winner has emerged in County Down.

In February's draw ERNIE gave away over one million prizes worth more than £73 million.

Number and value of prizes awarded in February 2006

£1 million - 2
£100,000 - 6
£50,000 - 13
£25,000 - 26
£10,000 - 64
£5,000- 126
£1,000 - 1,772
£500 - 5,316
£100 - 61,530
£50 - 1,162,176

Prize value                   
£73,861,800

Number of prizes
1,231,031

Premium Bond Facts

The Premium Bond prize fund rate is 3.00% tax-free, equivalent to 5.00% for a higher rate taxpayer and 3.75% for a basic rate taxpayer.  The odds of winning are 24,000 to 1 and, with average luck, an investor with £30,000 in Premium Bonds can expect to win 15 tax-free prizes a year - more than one a month.

23 million people have more than £29 billion invested in Premium Bonds.

Premium Bonds can be bought online at www.nsandi.com, by telephone on 0500 007 007, by post and over the counter at Post Office® branches.

Like all NS&I products, Premium Bonds offer investors 100% security, backed by HM Treasury, as well as the sense of fun that comes from winning tax free prizes.

Since the first Premium Bonds prize draw in 1957, over 132 million tax-free prizes worth £8.4 billion have been given away.  Prizes range from £50 to £1 million.

There is currently over £25 million in unclaimed prizes.  There is no time limit on claiming prizes.  Premium Bond investors can check to see if they have won by logging on to www.nsandi.com and using the Premium Bond prize checker.