Last updated: 10 September 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

This guide is for information only and does not constitute financial advice. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Every rate here was read off the bank’s own page tonight

Picking the best savings account UK savers can open comes down to one question: how soon do you need the money back? Get that right and the rate follows. So I checked every figure below directly on each provider’s own website on 6 September 2026, rather than lifting it from a comparison table.

The Bank of England base rate sits at 3.75%, held at the most recent decision. Easy access tops out near 5%, one and two year bonds sit just under 5%, and the best regular savers still pay 8%. Below you will find easy access, notice accounts, regular savers, fixed bonds, cash ISAs and NS&I, each with the deposit-taker named.

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How I checked these savings rates

Comparison tables go stale quietly. Provider pages do not.

Every rate below was read on the provider’s own website on 6 September 2026. I used comparison sites only to work out who was near the top, then went to the bank itself for the number. That matters more than it sounds. Two accounts sitting at the top of a table on 3 September had already moved by tonight, and one of them had dropped.

Alongside each rate I have noted whether it is fixed or variable, how long any bonus runs, what the underlying rate becomes afterwards, the minimum and maximum you can hold, and how you get your money out. I have also named the bank that actually holds the deposit, because with app brands that is often not the name on the app.

Eligible deposits are protected up to £120,000 per eligible person per UK-authorised bank, building society or credit union by the FSCS (since 1 December 2025). NS&I is different, as I explain further down. For the base rate itself, the Bank of England publishes the current figure and every past decision.

Best easy access savings accounts

For the emergency fund, and for anything you might need next month.

LemFi Instant Access Savings: 5.00% AER, boosted for six months

LemFi currently pays 5.00% AER (4.89% gross) on its Instant Access Savings Account, and that headline includes a boost that runs for six months. Afterwards the rate falls to 3.04%, which tracks the Bank of England base rate. You can hold between £1 and £250,000, and you can withdraw whenever you like with no penalty and no fee.

The deposit-taker is ClearBank Limited (FRN 754568), not LemFi, so the FSCS £120,000 covers your LemFi balance and anything else you hold with ClearBank as one combined total. Chip savers should note that, because Chip uses ClearBank too. Source: LemFi Savings, checked 6 September 2026.

Who it suits: savers who want the top rate tonight and will genuinely diarise the six-month drop.

Charter Savings Bank Easy Access Issue 79: 4.25% AER variable

Charter pays 4.25% AER variable with no bonus attached, which is the point of it. You can open from £1 and hold up to £1,000,000, with unlimited withdrawals and a choice of monthly or annual interest. Because there is no introductory sweetener, nothing falls off a cliff in six months.

Charter Savings Bank is a trading name of Charter Court Financial Services Limited (FRN 494549). Source: Charter Savings Bank rates, checked 6 September 2026.

Who it suits: people who would rather not manage a calendar reminder to switch.

Kent Reliance Limited Access Saver Issue 3: 4.21% AER variable

This one pays 4.21% AER variable from £1, but it allows only three withdrawals in any twelve months. Consequently it works better as a second tier behind a genuine emergency pot. Kent Reliance is a trading name of OneSavings Bank plc (FRN 530504). Source: Kent Reliance savings, checked 6 September 2026.

Chip Easy Access: 3.81% AER for twelve months

Chip has come a long way down. New customers now get 3.81% AER (a variable tracker) for twelve months, made up of a 3.50% underlying rate that tracks 0.30% under base rate plus a 0.31% boost. After that you are on 3.50%. You get three penalty-free withdrawals in twelve months, and a fourth cuts your rate by 2.10 percentage points.

Chip deposits sit with ClearBank Limited. Source: Chip Easy Access, checked 6 September 2026. Our Chip referral code page has whatever sign-up offer is running.

Zopa Access pot: 2.95% AER variable

Zopa’s Access pot pays 2.95% AER (2.91% gross) variable, from £1 up to £250,000, with withdrawals any time and no notice. The rate is not competitive on its own. However, it sits inside Smart Saver alongside notice and fixed pots, so you can run several goals in one account. The deposit-taker is Zopa Bank Limited (FRN 800542). Source: Zopa savings rates, checked 6 September 2026.

Chase Saver: 2.25% AER variable, with a boosted offer

The standard Chase Saver pays 2.25% AER (2.23% gross) variable, with no minimum and a ceiling of £3m. Chase also runs a boosted saver at 4.5% AER (4.41% gross), which is a 2.25% boost fixed for twelve months sitting on top of that standard variable rate. It is open to new customers joining from 29 December 2025, and you have to open it within your first 31 days. There is no published closing date, although Chase states the offer may be withdrawn at any time, and it is one boosted saver per customer. Source: Chase boosted saver, checked 7 September 2026.

Chase is a trading name of J.P. Morgan Europe Limited (FRN 124579). Source: Chase saver account, checked 6 September 2026. Our Chase refer-a-friend page covers the current joining bonus.

Notice accounts, the bit most guides skip

A little planning buys you roughly a quarter of a point.

Notice accounts pay more than easy access because you tell the bank in advance when you want the money. Break the notice and you either cannot have it or you lose interest. For savings you can see coming, such as a tax bill or a holiday, they suit the job well.

Two things stand out. First, Kent Reliance leads on rate but only in branch, and its branches are in Kent, so most of the country cannot open it. Secondly, Shawbrook pays the same 4.21% for 45 days as it does for 120, which makes the longer version pointless at today’s pricing. Zopa’s Boosted pots are tied directly to the base rate, at 3.08% for 7 days, 3.20% for 31 days and 3.55% for 95 days.

Sources: Kent Reliance, Shawbrook and Zopa, all checked 6 September 2026. Shawbrook Bank Limited holds its own deposits (FRN 204574).

Best regular saver accounts

The highest rates on the market, on the smallest amounts of money.

Regular savers pay well because the bank caps what you can feed them. You drip in a set amount each month, so your average balance over the year is roughly half what you put in. An 8% headline on £250 a month is therefore worth about £130, not £240.

Santander Regular Saver: 8.00% AER variable, bonus included

Santander matches the 8% headline, but the shape is different. The rate is variable, and it includes a 5.00% bonus that runs for twelve months. Once the bonus ends you are on the underlying rate, currently 3.00% AER variable. You can pay in up to £200 a month and you must hold a Santander current account. Source: Santander Regular Saver, checked 6 September 2026.

First Direct Regular Saver: 7.00% AER fixed

First Direct pays a lower headline but lets you save more. The rate is 7.00% AER/gross fixed for twelve months on £25 to £300 a month, which is £3,600 over the year. Its own worked example puts the interest at £136.50 on the full £3,600, so in hard cash it beats Lloyds at 8% on £250. You need a first direct 1st Account, and you apply through the app or online banking.

Worth knowing for the FSCS maths: first direct is a division of HSBC UK Bank plc, so money held with both brands shares one £120,000 limit. Source: first direct Regular Saver, checked 6 September 2026.

Kent Reliance Regular Savings Issue 12: 5.10% AER variable

The rate is lower, yet the monthly cap is the highest here at £500 a month from £25, with interest paid annually. It is branch only, so it is realistically a Kent option. Source: Kent Reliance, checked 6 September 2026.

An 8% headline on £250 a month is worth about £130, not £240.

Best fixed rate bonds at one and two years

Certainty, in exchange for not touching it.

Fixed bonds hold their rate for the whole term whatever the base rate does. In return you cannot usually take the money out early at all. Locking in suits you if you think rates will fall. However, three of the Bank of England’s nine rate-setters voted to raise the base rate in September 2026, so check the latest position on my Bank of England base rate page first. A fixed bond also only works if you are certain you will not need the cash.

One year

Al Rayan is a Sharia compliant bank, so it does not pay interest. Instead it quotes an expected profit rate, which is a target rather than a guarantee, although the bank states it has always paid the quoted rate. Eligible deposits still carry FSCS protection up to £120,000. Source: Al Rayan savings range, checked 6 September 2026.

Two years

Shawbrook leads both terms tonight. Its two year bond pays 4.96% AER annually or 4.85% if you take interest monthly, with rates effective from 2 September 2026, and you fund the account within 28 days of opening. Notably its five year bond pays 5.01%, so the extra three years buys you five hundredths of a point. That tells you what the market expects rates to do. Source: Shawbrook 2 Year Fixed Rate Bond, checked 6 September 2026.

One planning note. If you are weighing a fixed bond against clearing debt, our mortgage overpayment calculator compares the two on the same numbers, because a 4.96% saving rate loses to a 5% mortgage rate every time.

Easy access and fixed rate cash ISAs

Worth it once your interest outgrows the Personal Savings Allowance.

Basic-rate taxpayers can earn £1,000 of savings interest a year tax-free, and higher-rate taxpayers £500. At around 4.5%, that £1,000 allowance is used up by roughly £22,000 of savings. Above that, a cash ISA shelters the interest completely. The allowance is £20,000 for the 2026/27 tax year.

Easy access cash ISAs

Chip Smart Cash ISA pays 4.60% AER (a variable tracker) for twelve months, made up of a 3.50% underlying rate that tracks 0.30% under the base rate plus a 1.10% boost. Afterwards you drop to 3.50%. Chip cut the underlying rate from 3.75% on 10 September 2026 and raised the boost to hold the 4.60% headline. It is a flexible ISA, so replacing a withdrawal in the same tax year does not use your allowance twice. Chip is not a bank: the money sits with a panel of UK-authorised banks including Barclays, Lloyds and HSBC, so FSCS protection applies per panel bank rather than per Chip. Source: Chip Smart Cash ISA, checked 6 September 2026.

Charter Savings Bank Easy Access Cash ISA Issue 82 pays 4.26% AER from £1 with no bonus, so nothing expires. Zopa’s Access ISA pot pays 3.25% AER (3.20% gross) variable and is also flexible.

Fixed rate cash ISAs

Hodge leads on rate at both terms, and it takes deposits from £1,000 up to the £20,000 annual allowance. Crucially it does not accept ISA transfers from other providers, so it is no use for consolidating old ISA pots, and early access carries a charge. Hodge Bank is a trading name of Julian Hodge Bank Limited (FRN 204439). Source: Hodge Cash ISAs, checked 6 September 2026.

Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. From 6 April 2027 the cash ISA limit drops to £12,000 a year for savers under 65. The overall ISA allowance stays at £20,000, and anyone aged 65 or over keeps the full £20,000 in cash. Source: HM Treasury ISA reform factsheet, checked 7 September 2026.

NS&I: backed by the Treasury, not the FSCS

Lower rates, unlimited safety, one very British lottery.

NS&I is different from every other name on this page. It is not covered by the FSCS at all, because it does not need to be. Money held with NS&I is backed 100% by HM Treasury, so the £120,000 limit is irrelevant. For anyone holding well over that in cash, this is the reason to look.

Premium Bonds pay no interest whatsoever. Instead the prize fund rate funds a monthly draw, with odds of 21,000 to 1 for every £1 Bond and prizes from £25 to £1 million, all tax-free. The 4.35% is therefore an average across everyone, not a return you can count on. Most people with a small holding win nothing at all in a year.

Income Bonds pay monthly and allow withdrawals with no notice, although the minimum withdrawal is £500 and you must leave £500 in the account. Sources: Premium Bonds, Direct ISA, Direct Saver and Income Bonds, all checked 6 September 2026.

If you are weighing the lottery against the certainty, our Premium Bonds versus investing comparison runs the numbers over longer periods.

What happened to Zopa’s 7.10% regular saver

Closed to new savers, still running for the people who got in.

Zopa retired its 7.10% regular saver during 2026, and the old product page now redirects. Existing pots keep running and mine still pays 7.10%, but you cannot open a new one, and Zopa has not said whether current pots will be allowed to renew. Our Zopa Regular Saver page covers the closure in full.

New saving with Zopa happens inside Smart Saver instead, at 2.95% for Access, up to 3.55% with notice and up to 4.65% fixed. The Zopa Biscuit current account behind it is free and pays 1% AER variable as standard, or 2.75% AER variable if you choose interest as your monthly benefit instead of one of the cashback options. Our Zopa Biscuit versus Chase comparison sets the two app banks side by side.

The £20 Zopa Biscuit referral is live

Open Biscuit through our referral page and make three card transactions within 30 days, and the bonus is £20. Terms can change, so the page is where we keep them current.

See the Zopa Biscuit referral terms

Which savings account suits which saver

Start with the timing, not the rate.

There is no single best savings account UK answer, because the right account depends entirely on when you need the money back. Here is how the shortlist breaks down.

• Money you might need this week. Easy access, and only easy access. LemFi at 5.00% pays most tonight; Charter at 4.25% pays slightly less and never expires.
• Money you can see coming. A notice account. Shawbrook’s 45 day at 4.21% is the practical online pick, since the higher Kent Reliance rate needs a branch visit.
• A few hundred pounds a month from your salary. A regular saver. Lloyds pays the best rate, First Direct lets you shelter the most, and both need the matching current account.
• A lump sum you will not touch for a year or two. A fixed bond. Shawbrook leads at both terms, and the gap to five years is barely worth the extra lock-in.
• Savings above about £22,000. A cash ISA, because that is roughly where a basic-rate taxpayer’s £1,000 allowance runs out.
• More than £120,000 in cash. Either split it across separate banking licences or use NS&I, where the Treasury backing has no ceiling.

Most people end up using two or three of these at once. What works for us is an easy access pot for emergencies, a regular saver fed by standing order on payday, and anything left over fixed for a year. If your current account is also part of the picture, our best current account guide covers the switch bonuses running now.

Five things that quietly cost you money

Most of the traps are in the structure, not the headline.

Bonus rates expire, and nobody reminds you. LemFi drops from 5.00% to 3.04% after six months. Chip’s cash ISA falls from 4.60% to 3.50% after twelve. Santander’s regular saver goes from 8% to 3%. Put the end date in your calendar the day you open the account.

Shared banking licences halve your protection. first direct is part of HSBC UK Bank plc, so both brands share one £120,000 limit. LemFi and Chip both place deposits with ClearBank, so those two share a limit as well. By contrast Charter Savings Bank and Kent Reliance sit in the same group, OSB Group, yet they are separate authorised banks with separate limits.

Withdrawal caps are real. Kent Reliance’s Limited Access Saver allows three withdrawals a year. Chip cuts your rate by 2.10 points on the fourth. Read that line before you treat an account as an emergency fund.

A branch-only best buy is not a best buy for most people. Kent Reliance tops the notice table and the regular saver table, and both require a branch in Kent.

Variable means variable. Tracker rates such as Zopa’s Boosted pots and Chip’s follow the base rate automatically. Others move whenever the provider decides. Only a fixed bond or a fixed cash ISA genuinely holds.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best savings account UK savers can open right now?

It depends on the timing. On 6 September 2026 the top easy access rate was LemFi at 5.00% AER, boosted for six months. The top regular saver was Club Lloyds at 8.00% AER fixed. The top two year bond was Shawbrook at 4.96% AER. The best savings account UK savers can open is simply the one that matches when they need the money.

How much interest can I earn before I pay tax?

Basic-rate taxpayers get a £1,000 Personal Savings Allowance each year, and higher-rate taxpayers get £500. Additional-rate taxpayers get nothing. At roughly 4.5%, a basic-rate taxpayer uses up £1,000 of allowance on about £22,000 of savings. Above that, a cash ISA shelters the interest entirely.

Is my money safe in a savings account?

Eligible deposits are protected up to £120,000 per eligible person per UK-authorised bank, building society or credit union by the FSCS (since 1 December 2025). Joint accounts are covered up to £240,000. Where an app places your money with another bank, such as LemFi and Chip with ClearBank, the protection sits with that bank and your balances there are added together. NS&I is backed by HM Treasury instead, with no limit.

Are Premium Bonds better than a savings account?

Not on average. The 4.35% prize fund rate is what the whole pool pays out, and most small holders win less than that or nothing at all. However, prizes are tax-free and the Treasury backing has no ceiling, so Premium Bonds suit large cash holdings and people who like the draw. Our Chip Prize Saver versus Premium Bonds piece compares the two.

Should I fix now or wait?

Nobody can answer that for you, and this is not advice. What the market is telling you is visible in the pricing: Shawbrook pays 4.87% for one year and 5.01% for five, so lenders are not paying much extra for long commitments. That usually signals an expectation that rates fall rather than rise.

Can I still open the Zopa 7.10% regular saver?

No. Zopa closed it to new savers during 2026. Existing pots continue for now, and new Zopa saving goes into Smart Saver pots instead, at 2.95% for Access and up to 4.65% fixed.

What happens when a bonus rate ends?

Your rate falls to the provider’s underlying rate, which is usually much lower. LemFi goes to 3.04%, Chip’s easy access to 3.50%, and Santander’s regular saver to 3.00%. Set a reminder, then compare and move if something better is available.

More things like this

• Best money-saving apps UK: the apps that quietly cut what you spend, not just what you earn on savings.
• Mortgage overpayment calculator: work out whether saving at 4.96% or overpaying your mortgage wins.
• Emma app premium trial: see every account, subscription and standing order in one place before you move money.
• Is Monzo Perks worth it?: whether paying £9 a month for a better savings rate actually pays for itself.
• Aeropress Premium coffee maker: for spending a little of what you save on something you will use daily.

This guide is for information only and does not constitute financial advice. Every rate was checked on the provider’s own website on 6 September 2026, and rates, bonuses, eligibility rules and terms can change at any time without notice, so always confirm the current details with the provider before you apply. Variable rates can fall as well as rise, and a fixed bond means you cannot access your money before maturity. If you are unsure what suits your circumstances, consider speaking to a qualified financial adviser. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and does not offer personalised financial guidance. This article contains affiliate or referral links, and we may earn a commission or referral bonus if you sign up through one, at no extra cost to you. It does not affect our editorial view.

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