NS&I, the provider of Premium Bonds, is urging customers to review their accounts as we enter the new year. The savings scheme offers an exciting way to grow your money, with each £1 Bond entered into a monthly prize draw, giving each Bond an equal chance of winning.
Prizes range from £25 to a whopping £1 million jackpot, and the odds of winning with each £1 Bond currently stand at 22,000 to one. The current prize fund rate for Premium Bonds is 3.6%.
The North East has a track record of big winners, netting nearly £900,000 in December from larger prizes. We track all regional winners each month, showcasing how the scheme can be beneficial for some.
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As we transition into 2026, NS&I advises customers to take this opportunity to review their holdings and ensure that their details are up to date and correct.
An NS&I spokesperson said: “The new year is a great time to do some financial housekeeping, including checking that NS&I has up-to-date contact and bank details for you.
“This can be easily done online – including registering if you have not already done so.” The provider also suggested that you may want to check for any unclaimed prizes.
According to NS&I figures from October 2025, there were 2.6 million unclaimed prizes, totalling nearly £110 million in uncollected cash. The spokesperson also said: “You can also use the NS&I app to check balances for all your accounts, plus your Premium Bonds prizes for the past six months.
“For customers who haven’t already registered for our online and app services, you will need your NS&I or Premium Bonds numbers along with your name and address. For anyone who has already registered, you will need to know your password and NS&I number to access the web.
“For app access, you can use biometrics or your password to log in.” Another way to check for any unclaimed prizes is using the prize checker tool on the NS&I website.
Guidance on the NS&I website explains: “The quickest way to find out if you’ve won a prize is to use our prize checker. It’ll show you any prizes you’ve won this month, anything you’ve won in the previous six draws, as well as any older prizes that you haven’t claimed yet.
“We update our prize checker on the day after the first working day of each month. To use the prize checker on our website, all you’ll need is your holder’s number, which you can find on your Bond record or by logging in to your account. It has either 9 or 10 digits, or 8 digits followed by a letter.”
Another factor to consider is that you can set up your account to automatically reinvest any prizes you win by purchasing more Premium Bonds. These newly purchased Bonds will be eligible for the next month’s draw, while Bonds you bought separately must be held for a full calendar month before they qualify for the draw.
The prize fund rate for Premium Bonds has been reduced by NS&I several times throughout 2025. It started at 4% in January, having decreased from the previous rate of 4.15%. The rate was further cut in April and August, dropping to 3.8% and 3.6%, respectively.
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