As the year draws to a close, NS&I has reported today that 2024 has proven to be a bumper year for Premium Bonds, with ERNIE drawing close to 71 million winning numbers. Premium Bonds marked 30 years of its £1 million jackpot in April 2024 – ERNIE has now created 544 millionaires since the jackpot prize was introduced in 1994.
The benefits to savers of tax-free prizes, Treasury backing -meaning there is no risk to capital – easy of access plus the chance to win big – up to £1m – each month, mean that Premium Bonds remain an appealing way to save with both advisers and clients alike. Also Premium Bonds remain a popular savings vehicle for children, with over 84,000 Premium Bonds accounts opened for under 16s in 2024 and 17 children receiving prizes of £100,000 each.
Looking back over the year, here’s what 2024 looked like for Premium Bonds:
The total amount of eligible Premium Bonds held increased by more than £5 billion in 2024 – from £122.2 billion to £127.7 billion.
According to NS&I, close to 71 million Premium Bonds prizes were won in 2024, with a total value of more than £5.5 billion. However, one particular Premium Bonds holder really struck gold in September 2024, winning £100,000 from a £100 bond held since July 2024 – the first eligible draw for that bond. Also, a Staffordshire bond holder who invested just £1 in April 1960 scooped a whopping £25,000 prize in September 2024. In the February 2024 draw, a Bond holder from Essex won £50,000 with a £10 holding which they’d bought in 1990.
The South East proved to be 2024’s Premium Bonds hotspot, with seven £1 million prizes awarded to the region. The winning areas included West Sussex, Hampshire & Isle of Wight, Southampton, Surrey and Kent.
Agent Million clocked up 5,453 miles in 2024, travelling across the UK to deliver life-changing £1 million Premium Bonds prizes to 24 winners. Agent Million’s 2024 travels covered the length of Britain – from their most northerly visit to the Scottish Highlands, to their most southerly destination in Cornwall.
