Hum, don't pay for 4G service then. But you're not alone, what if someone wants 4G ? Anyway, what sprint is offering now is not LTE and it's not really 4G either.
And as for the battery thing... don't use the feature if you don't want to drain your battery. Better yet, shut off the phone, because I hear the battery drains from it just being on.
Seriously folks : LTE iPhone works fine on 3G networks. It futureproofs the device and gives the possibility of having the service to those who want it without impacting those who don't. If you don't want LTE on your device, you don't have to enable it or pay for it.
A lot of people here have a hard time with the concept of choice. And comparing LTE coverage of October 2010 to justify a phone released in June 2011 not having it is really, really shortsighted.