In many areas the electrical service is not consistant and almost all areas suffer from spikes and surges. Protecting your equipment from power surges and spikes is essential to getting long life from your investment. Power surges can damage, and even destroy, electrical equipment so protecting your home office equipment is imperative. Surges pass not only through electrical circuits in your home but also through cable and satellite hookups and your phone lines. Some equipment comes with built-in surge protection but, even then, it doesn't hurt to do double duty.
Multi-outlet surge suppressors are your best choice. They vary in both dependability and cost. Price is not always the determining factor. Carefully check the specifications. Pieces of equipment that are interconnected, like computers, printers, scanners and external drives, are especially vulnerable. All pieces should be powered through a surge protector otherwise a surge can pass through one unit to all the others. One good way to protect your office equipment and the rest of the electrical items in your home is to have a surge suppressor installed at the electrical service entrance to your home. This may cost a little more but it can be worth the price, over time, to save your equipment. Ask your electrician about suppressors that also handle your phone and cable circuits.