Water Heaters - new water heater

in spring i had installed an elec.wtr.htr that connects to my furnace (baseboard heat). all works well. what i've read suggests the tank should be insulated. then further rdg suggests newer tanks don't need to be. so i am confused. do i or don't it? also, is there any value in having a timer put on the tank? for 6 months the furnace isn't running, and the elec.tank runs 24/7. i thought it seemed pricey and would save little to add a timer to the mix.

There shouldn't be any reason to insulate a new tank. Is the water heater used for domestic hot water as well as the baseboard heating? There should be a temperature control on it.

No need for a tank blanket as most new tanks have thick enough insulation and even heat traps. I'll be you don't feel much heat when you put your hand on it or even on the hot water outlet pipe.

While a little on the pricey side a 220V timer can help reduce your heating costs. With most tanks standby loss minimal these days due to the better insulation mentioned it is questionable how much you will save for the cost of the timer and any labor to install. However the more the tank is off the more you will save. The Whirlpool Energy Smart electric water heaters seem to have something like a timer plus 3" insulation.