You don't have to have it and you don't have to have insurance. A surge Prtector is very cheap insurance. We have a Surge Guard and it saved us twice last year on a three month trip to the Rockies. When we were in the Tetons lightening struck a tree about 75 feet from us and the surge guard kicked out. Another time it tripped in a campground with a brown out. It is not only the expensive repairs that I am trying to prevent. If something fries your system and you are on vacation you are totally shut down and out of business.