Abstract: The electrical apparatus, which is preferably designed as a surge arrester (3), has an apparatus, which contains a current sensor, for indicating a fault state caused by a fault current (I). The indicating apparatus furthermore contains a receiver (read station 9), which can be operated from ground potential, for electromagnetic waves as well as an information carrier (8) which interacts with the current sensor and emits electromagnetic waves to the receiver (9). In such an apparatus, the fault state can be identified independently of optical signals.