The invention relates to a method for actuating a stepping motor, in which stator coils of the stepping motor are sequentially supplied with current by a control electronics unit such that a rotating electromagnetic field is produced, wherein the supply of current to a given stator coil involves the current through the turns thereof initially being increased to a defined current setpoint value by the control electronics unit and, after the setpoint value has been reached, the current being chopped by virtue of the flow of current through the turns that is provided by the control electronics unit being repeatedly switched off for a constant period and then a chopper pulse occurring, during which the flow of current provided by the control electronics unit is switched on again, until the current setpoint value has been reached again, wherein the control electronics unit compares the width of each chopper pulse, as defined by the period that is required in order to reach the current setpoint value again after the flow of current is switched on again, with a prescribable reference period and starts supplying current to the next stator coil to be supplied with current as soon as the width of the chopper pulse is below the reference period for the first time, in which the reference period is matched to the operating conditions of the stepping motor during the actuation of the stepping motor.