We understand there have been some issues with smart meters in the US/Canada - in particular, how they have priced their tariffs. We have similar trials at npower, which use time-of-day tariffs where we can offer cheaper rates at off-peak times - but they are definitely not more expensive at peak.
This is to encourage customers to spread their energy usage across the day, meaning that we wouldn't have to spin up extra power stations to meet demand at peak times, thus saving millions of tonnes of CO2 per year.
Each of our smart meters comes with a portable display device where you can instantly tell when it is off-peak or on-peak. It'll also tell you how much energy your are using and how much it is costing. First thing though, to reduce costs, is to contact your energy supplier and talk to their energy savings team to discuss how they can help you reduce your bill.
