A circuit arrangement is provided for protecting from overheating a heating element whose resistance value is a function of its temperature. The circuit arrangement includes a power supply, a switch, and a switch control circuit, a current sensor providing a signal proportional to the current flowing through the heating element, and a first scaling device whose output provides a signal proportional to the supply voltage of the heating element. An evaluation circuit compares the difference signal determined by a first detector having an output that provides a difference signal formed from the signals of the current sensor and the first scaling device with a reference signal and the switch control circuit can be switched from a conducting state when the switch control circuit is in a first state to a non-conducting state when the switch control circuit is in a second state.