National Savings and Investments (NS&I) has announced the latest results of the May 2025 Premium Bond prize draw, revealing two new millionaires and millions of other prize winners across the UK. And this month’s Premium Bond checker update has been long awaited so savers can find out if they are among the lucky winners of tax-free prizes ranging from £25 to £1 million.
What Are Premium Bonds and How Do They Work?
Premium Bonds are a unique savings product offered by NS&I, the UK government-backed savings institution. Plus instead of earning interest, each £1 bond number is entered into a monthly prize draw. Prizes are tax-free, and the original investment is always protected, making them a popular choice for savers looking for a risk-free way to potentially win big.
The minimum investment in an NS&I Premium Bond is £25, and the maximum holding limit is £50,000. Also each bond number has an equal chance of winning in the monthly draw, which is conducted using ERNIE (Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment), a random number generator in use since 1957.
May 2025 Premium Bond Winners and Prize Distribution
In May 2025, two savers became overnight millionaires. A winner from Derbyshire, who had put £25,361 into Premium Bonds bought in July 2021, won the £1 million jackpot with bond number 462DR240519. And the other millionaire is from Suffolk who had put £35,000 into Premium Bonds bought in April 2017 and won with bond number 300ZZ346515.
With two jackpot winners, NS&I distributed more than 5.9 million prizes worth more than £413 million across the country. The prize fund rate for May was 3.80%, and the odds of winning any prize for every £1 bond remain around 1 in 22,000.
Here is The Detailed Prize Distribution For May 2025:
- £1,000,000 – 2 prizes
- £100,000 – 79 prizes
- £50,000 – 157 prizes
- £25,000 – 315 prizes
- £10,000 – 789 prizes
- £5,000 – 1,575 prizes
- £1,000 – 16,556 prizes
- £500 – 49,668 prizes
- £100 – 1,843,199 prizes
- £50 – 1,843,199 prizes
- £25 – 2,185,611 prizes
How To Use the Premium Bond Checker
Checking whether you have won a prize is straightforward and can be done using the official NS&I Premium Bond prize checker This tool can be accessed online via the NS&I website or via the NS&I mobile app, available on both iOS and Android devices. Users enter their Premium Bond holder number to check for wins in current or past draws.
Additionally, Amazon Alexa users can enable the NS&I Premium Bond Prize Checker skill to check prizes by voice, making it even easier to stay updated with any wins.
Why Use a Premium Bond Prize Checker?
Many Premium Bond holders may not realise they have won prizes, especially smaller ones. According to NS&I, more than 2.5 million prizes worth more than £97 million lie unclaimed, some dating back decades. As Premium Bond prizes do not expire, it is worth using a Premium Bond Checker regularly to ensure no wins are missed.
The prize checker allows bondholders to manage their accounts, claim prizes and set up direct bank transfers for winnings, ensuring a smooth and convenient experience.
NS&I Premium Bonds
NS&I Premium Bonds are fully backed by HM Treasury, meaning your investment is 100% safe regardless of market conditions. This government guarantee makes Premium Bonds a safe alternative to traditional savings accounts, especially for those who enjoy the excitement of prize draws.
While Premium Bonds do not pay interest, the average return considering all prizes is estimated at around 3.8% per annum, although individual results vary widely due to the luck-based nature of prize draws.
Recent Updates and Trends
NS&I recently adjusted the prize fund rate, which affects the total value of prizes awarded each month. Despite these changes, the odds of winning have remained stable. The May 2025 draw continued to pay significant prizes, with millions of prizes distributed across the UK, reinforcing the popularity of NS&I Premium Bonds amongst savers.
Summary
- NS&I Premium Bonds offer tax-free prize draws instead of interest, with prizes ranging from £25 to £1 million.
- The May 2025 draw created two new millionaires from Derbyshire and Suffolk.
- Over 5.9 million prizes worth £413 million were awarded in May 2025.
- The Premium Bond Prize Checker is available online, via the app and via Amazon Alexa to easily check if you have won a prize.
- There are millions worth of unclaimed prizes lying around, so regular checking is advised.
- Premium Bonds are fully backed by the UK Government, providing a safe and exciting savings option.
If you have NS&I Premium Bonds don’t forget to use the Premium Bond Checker to see if you are one of the lucky Premium Bond winners this month or in a previous draw. The thrill of potentially winning a big prize, combined with the security of government backing, makes Premium Bonds a unique and attractive way to save.
