The top easy-access savings account in the UK market is paying 5.00% AER, and roughly four in five savings accounts on sale now beat inflation, according to Moneyfactscompare.co.uk data published this week. Ten days after the Bank of England held its Bank Rate at 3.75% for a fifth consecutive meeting, the figures cover the period to 21 August 2026.
Office for National Statistics figures released on 19 August showed the Consumer Prices Index rose 2.9% in the 12 months to July, up from 2.6% in June. Behind the increase was a 14.7% jump in gas prices, linked to the 13% rise in Ofgem's energy price cap that took effect the same month. Even with inflation edging higher, Moneyfacts' analysis found most savings products still deliver a positive real return, though the margin has narrowed since the spring.
Easy-access best buys
LemFi currently tops the easy-access table with a rate of 5.00% AER, which includes an introductory bonus. Just behind, Tembo Money and First Active follow at 4.55% AER, also bonus-inclusive, with cahoot close behind at 4.52% AER. Regular saver accounts, which typically cap monthly deposits and often require an existing current account with the provider, continue to offer the highest headline rates in the market overall — some reaching as high as 8.00% AER on limited balances.
Moneyfacts named a new one-year fixed rate bond from Family Building Society its Pick of the Week on 21 August. At 4.76% AER, the bond offers the option to take interest monthly rather than on maturity, and was flagged as a best-buy entry for savers wanting a guaranteed return locked in before any further Bank Rate moves.
NS&I and fixed-term moves
NS&I raised the rates on its British Savings Bonds for the second time in a month, according to the 13 August roundup — a shift that came shortly after the government-backed provider cut its Premium Bonds prize rate to 3.85% from the August draw. More broadly, fixed-term providers have been repricing upward since the spring: Moneyfacts' Treasury Report on savings trends notes that the average one-year fixed rate climbed from 3.79% in early March to 4.07% by early May, even as the average easy-access rate moved only marginally, from 2.42% to 2.49% over the same period.
The next scheduled Bank of England rate decision falls on 17 September, with no accompanying Monetary Policy Report; the following meeting, on 5 November, will carry a full forecast update. Before then, current best-buy rates from providers such as Family Building Society and NS&I can be withdrawn or repriced without notice.