LED bulbs save substantial energy:
The study results show that over the entire life of the bulb — from manufacturing to disposal — the energy used for incandescent bulbs is almost five times that used for compact fluorescents and LED lamps.
The energy used during the manufacturing phase of all lamps is insignificant — less than 2 percent of the total. Given that both compact fluorescents and LEDs use about 20 percent of the electricity needed to create the same amount of light as a standard incandescent, both lighting technologies put incandescents to shame.
I bought my first LED bulb last night. The 25 watt equivalent bulb consumes 6 watts of electricity, and is supposed to last up to 20 years. The 'warm white' light is definitely whiter than incandescent bulbs, but lacks the faint green cast of compact fluorescents.