CIRCUIT FOR SWITCHING-ON AND/OR SWITCHING-OFF AN ELECTRICAL LOAD

A circuit for switching-on and/or switching-off an electrical load comprises an electrically conductive operator control element, an electrically operated lighting element that is looped-in between the operator control element and a live pole of an AC voltage source in such a way that current flows through the lighting element, as a result of which the lighting element emits light, when the operator control element is operated, an opto-electrical transducer is optically coupled to the lighting element, is shielded from ambient light and converts light emitted by the lighting element into electrical energy, and a switch that is electrically coupled to the opto-electrical transducer and connects the electrical load to a supply voltage (UV) or disconnects the electrical load from the said supply voltage, with the switch connecting the electrical load to the supply voltage when it is supplied with electrical energy by the opto-electrical transducer.