Regular Savings Drip Calculator
Regular savers pay the best headline rates — but that rate isn't what you actually earn. See your REAL interest, not the misleading "rate × total paid in" figure.
Estimate only. Rates, monthly caps and account terms are editable examples and change frequently between providers — check the current terms before opening an account. This is an illustrative calculation of typical regular-saver interest, not a quote or financial advice.
Over a 12-month term
Interest builds up on your growing balance through the year, not on the full amount from day one — so a 7% regular saver on £3,600 paid in earns roughly £136, not £252 (7% of £3,600).
Regular saver vs easy access, same money
Regular saver earns you £44 more
The numbers
| Total saved over the year | £3,000 |
| Interest earned | £114 |
| Balance at the end | £3,114 |
Get more from regular savers
- Have a lump sum sitting in easy access? Drip-feed the capped amount into a regular saver each month instead of leaving it all in one account — the regular saver's higher rate applies to that slice, and the rest keeps earning easy-access interest while it waits.
- When your 12-month regular saver matures, move the balance into a new one (or a fresh easy-access/ISA account) and open another regular saver straight away — don't let it sit earning a low "maturity" rate.
- Keep an eye on the £120,000 FSCS protection limit per banking group if you're spreading savings across several regular savers and accounts.
- Some banks let existing current-account customers open more than one regular saver — check eligibility if you want to drip-feed a bigger total amount.
Why 7% doesn't mean what you think
A regular saver's headline rate only ever applies to the money that's actually IN the account, for however long it's been there. If you pay in £300 on the 1st of each month, by month 1 you only have £300 earning interest for that month — not the full £3,600 you'll eventually pay in. By month 12 you have the full £3,600, but only for that last month. Add up interest on the actual monthly balance and the total works out close to the rate applied to the AVERAGE balance held over the year (roughly 6.5/12 of the total you pay in), not the full amount.
That's why a 7% regular saver on £300/month for 12 months earns around £136, not £252 (7% of the full £3,600 paid in). It's still the best rate available for that money — just be realistic about the cash amount, especially if you're comparing it to other accounts or budgeting around the interest.