NS&I Reveal December’s Premium Bond Millionaires

People can uncross their fingers, legs and relax all other luck-bearing rituals, as the winning numbers for the five jackpots in the first special Premium Bond prize draw have been announced by National Savings and Investments (NS&I).

With the winners in December as far north as Glasgow and as far south as Surrey, National Savings and Investments’ Chief Agent Million, the mystery person who delivers the good news to the jackpot winners each month, has had to recruit more Agents to visit the extra winners.

The fortunate five are in Surrey, North Humberside, Glasgow, Essex and Leicestershire.

John Prout, Sales Director for NS&I, said: "It’s the first time the jackpot has been won in Humberside and the second time in Leicestershire. The fact that the winners holdings ranged from £1,010 to £30,000, illustrates that ERNIE is completely random. However he has shown a favour for the ladies this month once again, four of the winners in December were female!"

This is the first of the two celebratory prize draws marking the 50th anniversary of Premium Bonds, 50 years on since their November 1956 launch by Harold Macmillan in Trafalgar Square. An extra three millionaires have been created by NS&I this month, and Premium Bond holders can look forward to the second special draw in June 2007, which will celebrate 50 years since the first prize draw.

Premium Bonds have become part of British history since their introduction half a century ago. Launched under the tagline "Saving with a thrill", the savings bonds were introduced in the post-war period to help control inflation and to encourage people to save.

The increased chance to win a million has caused interest on a large scale in the run up to this months prize draw, Sally Swait, Premium Bond manager at NS&I says, "We wanted to recognise this landmark date by holding our biggest ever prize draw, it’s a thank you to our customers, offering three extra chances to win the big jackpot." Next month will see the prize draw return to its normal format, which creates two millionaires.

In 1957, the draw consisted of 23,000 prizes, the top prize being £1,000. Since then over 145 million tax-free prizes worth a combined total of £9.2 billion have been given away by Premium Bonds.

In December’s draw ERNIE gave away over one million other prizes worth over £101 million.

Premium Bond Facts:

The Premium Bond prize fund rate for December is 3.55% tax-free*. The odds of winning are 24,000 to 1 and, with average luck, an investor with £30,000 in Premium Bonds could win 15 tax-free* prizes a year – more than one a month.

January’s draw will return to the normal format of creating two millionaires, with a prize fund rate of 3.40%.

23 million people have more than £34 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. Customers can pick up leaflets at over 700 Tesco stores.

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.

* All Premium Bond prizes are free of UK income Tax and Capital Gains tax.

ENDS

Notes to Editors
The lucky jackpot winners become ERNIE’s 169th, 170th, 171st, 172nd and 173rd Premium Bond millionaires.

Further information on National Savings and Investments (NS&I), including press releases and product information, is available on the website at www.nsandi.com and from the NS&I media team.

NS&I has a number of spokespeople available for interviews and our experienced radio team is available via our ISDN line: 020 7602 4522.