The invention relates to a method for the monitoring of a plurality of at least three electrical lighting bodies of the same design, comprising a. Imposition on the plurality of lighting bodies of at least one supply signal from at least one ballast device, b. Reading out of at least one parameter for each of the individual lighting bodies in each case, c. Forming of at least one reference value from at least some of the parameters read out from the different lighting bodies, d. Comparison of the reference value with the parameter of each individual one of the lighting bodies, e. Generation of a signal for each lighting body of which the parameter exceeds a specified deviation from the reference value.