I am going to be the jerk here. There is no NEED to shut down any computer at any time. If you only use the laptop for an hour a day, then sure, shut it down for the other 23. When you close the lid on a laptop it goes into sleep mode and will use very little power (like said by other poster above).

Another good reason to close a cover is to keep crap out of the keys (crumbs, dust, pet hair, beer spills) or to protect the screen from an accident.

Now, this is my personal opinion, but I dont see a point to shutting down the surge protector either. The cost would be so minimal it would not be worth the trouble. If the laptop is shut down, then there is no power going through it....

If you have AC in your house, then you will see where the power gets used, you can notice a JUMP in the bill when the thermostat is set lower. Those things use power, like ovens and hot tubs.

YMMV