The disclosure relates to a method for extending the battery lifetime in a hearing device, and to a hearing device with means for extending the battery lifetime of the hearing device. The hearing device comprise an amplifier providing an output signal and a controllable maximum power output limiter configured to limit the output signal from the amplifier when the output signal form the amplifier exceeds a predefined threshold: the hearing device further comprise a speech detector providing a control signal to the controllable maximum power output limiter, where the speech detector is further provided with an input terminal for receiving an input signal, such as the signal provided by a microphone. The controllable maximum power output limiter is further configured to reduce the maximum power output of the amplifier only when the speech detector does not detect the presence of a speech signal in the input signal received by the speech detector.