Method for heating an electrical heating element, for example, a glow plug for an internal combustion engine, from an initial temperature to the operating temperature. In order to prevent the heating element from overheating in cases where the initial temperature is higher than a set temperature that is normally taken as a basis, the actual initial temperature of the heating element is first determined, and an amount of electrical power depending on the level of the determined initial temperature is supplied to the heating element. In this way, the supplied amount of electrical power is reduced at higher initial temperatures, thus preventing the heating element from becoming overheated to a temperature at which damage can occur.