The present invention relates to a driver device and a corresponding driving method for driving a load (22), in particular an LED unit, said driver device comprising power input terminals (51, 52) for receiving a periodic supply voltage from an external power supply potentially including a dimmer for dimming said periodic supply voltage, power output terminals (53, 54) for providing a drive voltage and/or drive current for driving a load (22), a power stage (70a, 70b, 70c, 70d) coupled between the power input terminals and the power output terminals for controlling an input current received from said power input terminals to draw a high power from said external power supply in a first mode or to draw a low or no power from said external power supply in a second mode, said high power being higher than the power required for driving said load and said low power being lower than the power required for driving said load, wherein said power stage controls said input current to be in the second mode only for a percentage of half cycle periods of a number of subsequent half cycle periods of said supply voltage, and for providing said drive voltage and/or drive current to said power output terminals in said first mode, and an energy storage unit (90) coupled to said power stage for storing electrical energy provided at said power input terminals in said first mode and for providing stored electrical energy to said load via said power output terminals in said second mode.