A method of operating a first and a second electrical consumer in an AC network, comprising: a first operating mode, in which the positive and negative half waves for each consumer (11; 12) are controlled with a first leading edge phase angle or a first trailing edge phase angle, and a second operating mode, in which a first part of the positive and negative half waves for the first consumer and a second part of the positive and the negative half waves for the second consumer is controlled in each case with a second leading edge phase angle or a second trailing edge phase angle, respectively, switching from the first into the second operating mode if the first leading edge phase angle is at least 90° or if the first trailing edge phase angle is smaller than or equal to 90°, and switching from the second into the first operating mode if the second leading edge phase angle approaches 0° or if the second trailing edge phase angle approaches 180°, wherein, after switching from the first operating mode into the second operating mode, the second leading edge phase angle is smaller than the first leading edge phase angle before switching from the first operating mode into the second operating mode or, after switching from the first into the second operating mode, the second trailing edge phase angle is greater than the first trailing edge phase angle before switching from the first into the second operating mode in order to achieve the same power after switching into the second operating mode as achieved in the first operating mode before switching, and wherein the first part of the half waves are the positive half waves and the second part of the half waves are the negative half waves. a first operating mode, in which the positive and negative half waves for each consumer (11; 12) are controlled with a first leading edge phase angle or a first trailing edge phase angle, and a second operating mode, in which a first part of the positive and negative half waves for the first consumer and a second part of the positive and the negative half waves for the second consumer is controlled in each case with a second leading edge phase angle or a second trailing edge phase angle, respectively, switching from the first into the second operating mode if the first leading edge phase angle is at least 90° or if the first trailing edge phase angle is smaller than or equal to 90°, and switching from the second into the first operating mode if the second leading edge phase angle approaches 0° or if the second trailing edge phase angle approaches 180°, wherein, after switching from the first operating mode into the second operating mode, the second leading edge phase angle is smaller than the first leading edge phase angle before switching from the first operating mode into the second operating mode or, after switching from the first into the second operating mode, the second trailing edge phase angle is greater than the first trailing edge phase angle before switching from the first into the second operating mode in order to achieve the same power after switching into the second operating mode as achieved in the first operating mode before switching, and wherein the first part of the half waves are the positive half waves and the second part of the half waves are the negative half waves.