Savings Interest Rates, Switch Offers and Guides for Harpenden BS

Who they are

Harpenden Building Society started in 1953, when a group of local businesspeople came together to unite a community. It is owned by its savers and borrowers, and is proud to be an independent mutual building society. That means no shareholders, no outside pressure to maximise profits - any profit made is put back into the Society to benefit members.

Branches sit in Radlett, Leighton Buzzard and Harpenden, where the head office is also based. The society has won "Best Local Building Society" at the What Mortgage Awards for 12 years in a row. It is a smaller, community-focused institution - the kind of place where you can still walk in and talk to someone.

Savings accounts

Harpenden offers a genuinely wide range across most saving styles. Fixed rate bonds run from one to five years, with a minimum deposit of £1,000. The 5 Year Fixed Rate Bond currently sits at the top of their fixed range, and the 18-30 Regular Saver carries the highest headline rate in the range - well worth a look if you qualify. Notice accounts come in three tiers, giving you a middle ground between easy access and locking money away entirely. There are also multiple Cash ISAs, including fixed-term, notice, and instant-access options, so tax-free saving is well catered for. Children are not forgotten either, with a Young Savers Instant Access account available.

One thing to be aware of: the Online Single Access account allows only one withdrawal before the rate drops, so read the terms carefully before opening it. The same restriction applies to the Online Single Access ISA.

The FSCS protection limit increased from £85,000 to £120,000 from 1st December 2025. Deposits up to £120,000 are covered by the UK's deposit guarantee scheme at Harpenden Building Society - higher than many savers realise.

Is it right for you?

Harpenden BS suits savers who want a proper building society feel - real branches, personal service, and a mutual ethos - rather than a slick app and a chatbot. The product range is broad enough to serve most needs, from a young saver's first account through to a five-year fixed bond for longer-term goals. Rates sit competitively across the board, though as always the specifics change regularly.

It is probably less ideal if you need a fully digital experience or want to open everything in minutes from a smartphone. There is no current account either, so it is purely a savings destination.

All the live rates shown on this page are updated regularly - check them before deciding, as the numbers that matter most can move at any time.