They are a good idea and are usually not too expensive to purchase and have installed. Major appliances cannot be easily plugged into standalone surge protectors, and a surge can destroy wall ovens, refrigerators, and stoves powered by electrcity, not to mention the electric motors in HVAC systems and electric washers/dryers. Wall-mounted televisions and soundbars also can also usually only be protected through whole house systems. Whole house surge protection can also serve as a first line of defense for sensitive smaller electronics like computers which can also be plugged into individual surge protectors for a layered defense.