The invention relates to a control unit (10) for an electrical apparatus, in particular a vehicle component such as, for example, a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning installation, which is provided with a housing (12) having a front wall (14), with a control strip (18) that projects beyond the front wall (14), which has an elongated control surface (20) with a plurality of adjacently arranged control fields (22, 24, 26, 28, 30), and with a support element (32) for the control strip (18), which is arranged in the housing (12). The control strip (18) is connected to the support element (32) by means of connecting webs (48) which protrude in the respective areas between the control panels (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) of the control strip (18). Flexible webs (50), which protrude from the control strip (18) for each operating field and are connected to the support element (32), are arranged between the connecting webs (48), namely in an elastic manner and more flexible than the connections of the control strip (18) to the support element (32) via the connecting webs (48). At least one control field actuation sensor (70, 72) for detecting a local bending of the control strip (18), when a manual actuating force is exerted on a control field (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) of the control strip (18), is arranged on the support element (32) for each flexible web (50). In addition, the control unit (10) comprises an evaluation and control unit (78) for receiving the signals of the control panel actuating sensors (70, 72) and for determining, on the basis of said signals, the control field (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) on which, upon manual actuation of the control strip (18), the finger of one hand is applied, and for triggering an apparatus function that is associated with the respective control field (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) corresponding to the determined control field (22, 24, 26, 28, 30).