We often tend to focus on the little things while ignoring the big things. We worry about saving drops of water while we're gushing gallons somewhere else. And we often have misplaced concepts of conservation.
Although more efficient light bulbs are nice, especially in the summer, the benefit in the winter can be negligible. The lower efficiency is in terms of light, with the lost efficiency running off as heat. Well, if you can use the heat (in the winter) then it's not really lost energy as your furnace runs less.
Summer is a different story. Not only do you have extra heat, but you have to expend more energy to cool the extra heat. However, you should consider how much you save with energy efficient bulbs versus how much you could save....say....by acquiring a more energy efficient air conditioner....making home more efficient...insulation....etc.
It's the BIG picture that is important for conservation. They say every little bit helps...and it does. But if you're doing a little bit and ignoring the big bits, then what are you really doing.
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