If you look closely at a Guardian bill, you’ll notice something that doesn’t usually stand out on a utility statement: a membership fee.
It is not a large number, but it catches the eye — because most utility bills do not separate a margin component into its own line.
This membership fee is the defined portion of Guardian’s margin that is directly tied to the community allocation. While Guardian operates various programs — including options such as the Solar Club, where pricing structures differ — the membership fee represents the controllable and predictable component used to support the Hospital Foundation.
By separating that portion and naming it openly, Guardian makes the relationship clear. Participants can see which part of their bill contributes to the Foundation. It becomes easier to trace the allocation without interpreting a blended rate.
This is not an extra charge layered onto the bill. It is the defined portion of the margin shown separately — so it can be seen, understood, and measured.
Most of us rarely think about how margin works inside a utility bill. We see the total, pay it, and move on. Electricity arrives. Heat turns on. Life continues.
But when part of that margin is directed to the Hospital Foundation — the independent organization that funds equipment, technology, and long-term capacity — the structure behind that number begins to matter.
Introducing predictability
Hospital Foundations do essential work. They raise funds for equipment and capital needs that allow care to happen. Traditionally, that funding often depends on campaigns, events, and periodic appeals.
Guardian’s membership structure is designed to add something steady to that landscape. Not to replace traditional fundraising — but to introduce predictability.
When a portion of margin is structured as a defined monthly allocation, the flow becomes consistent. Predictability creates stability. Stability allows planning.
That is the principle behind the membership fee.
A choice about visibility
Guardian structures its profit as a clearly defined monthly membership fee. On average, that fee is about $9.00 per month, ranging between $6.95 and $12.95 depending on usage. Sixty percent of it flows directly to the Hospital Foundation.
Because it is separated and named, the margin is measurable. Participants can see it. They can understand the allocation. They can follow the path from membership to monthly contribution.
Visibility does not increase the amount. It increases clarity. And clarity strengthens trust over time.
How it works through the year
Energy use in Alberta moves with the seasons. Winter stretches long and cold. Summer eases off.
To illustrate how the structure works, consider a simple example using electricity priced at 8.02¢ per kWh — looking only at the portion Guardian controls, separate from delivery charges set by FortisAlberta, ENMAX, EPCOR, or ATCO.
- January usage: 500 kWh
- July usage: 100 kWh
- Average membership fee: $9.00
| Winter | Summer | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Charge | $40.10 | $8.02 |
| Membership Fee | $9.00 | $9.00 |
| Total (Energy + Membership) | $49.10 | $17.02 |
In winter, the membership fee sits quietly beside higher usage. In summer, it becomes more visible. Across the year, it balances naturally.
The seasons change. The allocation does not.
Scale and growth
From the average $9.00 membership fee, $5.40 goes to the Hospital Foundation each month — $64.80 per participating household per year.
Guardian currently serves approximately 270 members. At that level, roughly $17,500 flows to the Foundation annually. Each additional household adds another $64.80 per year.
The math is simple. The growth is linear. And the funding builds quietly over time.
Why the Membership Fee Exists
There is a difference between saying that part of a bill supports the hospital and being able to follow how it does. When the margin is visible, the connection becomes easier to understand — from membership, to allocation, to the monthly contribution that reaches the Foundation.
That clarity was part of the original idea behind Guardian. The company was started to explore whether a stable form of income for the Hospital Foundation could be built directly into something people already use — their utility service.
By separating and defining its margin as a membership fee, Guardian created a structure that works quietly in the background. Participation happens through an existing bill. The contribution is embedded in the design rather than dependent on a separate moment of giving.
For an individual household, the amount is modest. But when it repeats every month, and when it grows with the number of participating households, it begins to take on weight. That steady accumulation is the point. Over time, predictability becomes stability, and stability becomes meaningful support.