To be absolutely safe, please unplug appliances at the outlet. I'm told that there is a "trickle" of electricity to anything that we leave plugged in--toaster, can opener, etc. I think surge protectors are just that--to protect from power surges. I wouldn't trust that there is no risk there. I like the suggestion of having a light on to remind a person to turn the iron off! It seems a lot of us have cats in our homes and I have concern that mine will jump up on the ironing board and knock the iron over, creating a fire hazard.