Yes, if you lean properly after the application of carb heat, your engine is about as efficient as corb heat cold, for that power produced - you just cannot produce full power any more. Leaning after carb heat application also assures that the most carb heat is available. Other than aircraft equipped with a carb air temp indicator, if you need carb heat at all, you need as much as you can get.
I have more than 3500 hours in O-200, C-90, and C85 powered aircraft. Though I occasionally have had carb ice, and used carb heat, I have never felt that these engines were unusually prone to carb ice. Carb heat should be used as instructed in the aircraft flight manual. That said, in my C 150, I check carb heat for every flight, and otherwise do not use it at all, unless I detect symptoms of carb ice (loss of power). This has worked fine for me that way for a long time - but I do have a carb air temperature indicator too!