New research has revealed the top 20 “hotspots” for winning Premium Bonds prizes following the recent cut to the prize fund rate from National Savings and Investments (NS&I).
The rate is being slashed to 4.15 per cent for the December prize draw with means the odds of taking home the £1million jackpot are also being cut. This comes as the savings market continues to evolve.
Despite the cut, a recent study by OLBG reveals the top counties in the UK with the highest chances of winning Premium Bonds prizes.
The research, based on this year’s previous prize winners, shows a surprising trend favouring southern counties.
Essex emerges as the luckiest county, with over 11,000 winners in the past year and £33.6million in total winnings.
This gives Essex residents a 3.84 per cent chance of winning, the highest in the country.
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The “hotspots” for winning Premium Bonds have been revealed
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Kent follows closely behind Essex, with a 3.49 per cent chance of winning.
Over 10,000 Kent residents have claimed prizes in the past year, totalling an impressive £29.4million.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight complete the top three, boasting a 3.40 per cent chance of winning.
The region has seen 9,976 prizes won in the last year, amounting to £30.9 million in winnings.
Here is a breakdown of the top 20 “hotspots” in the UK for winning Premium Bonds prizes, along with the percentage chance of winning:
- Essex – 3.84 per cent
- Kent – 3.49 per cent
- Hampshire & Isle of Wight – 3.40 per cent
- Surrey – 3.23 per cent
- Outer London -3.16 per cent
- Inner London – 2.55 per cent
- Hertfordshire – 2.55 per cent
- Devon – 2.47 per cent
- West Sussex – 2.33 per cent
- Dorset – 2.07 per cent
- Suffolk – 1.71 per cent
- Buckinghamshire – 1.69 per cent
- Lancashire – 1.61 per cent
- Wiltshire – 1.52 per cent
- Hereford and Worcester – 1.47 per cent
- Cambridgeshire – 1.44 per cent
- Derbyshire – 1.42 per cent
- Gloucestershire – 1.41 per cent
- Lincolnshire – 1.40 per cent
- East Sussex – 1.40 per cent
Despite the changes in Premium Bonds rates, NS&I remains optimistic about future prize draws. Andrew Westhead, NS&I Retail Director, stated:
“Even with the changes, we’re still expecting to pay out over 5.7 million prizes worth over £435million in the December Premium Bonds draw.”
Westhead emphasised that the adjustments were necessary to meet NS&I’s Net Financing target while balancing the interests of savers, taxpayers, and the broader financial services sector.
He added that NS&I’s portfolio of fixed and variable rate products, along with Premium Bonds’ unique position, continues to offer savers “choices to reach their savings goals”.
