A consumer control device, with which an external consumer device can be supplied with compressed air in a controlled manner, contains a compressed air maintenance unit, equipped with a proportional pressure regulating valve that can be electrically actuated, which is connectable via an outlet channel with the consumer device to be actuated. In the outlet channel an electrically controllable shut-off valve and an outlet pressure sensor are connected, both of which communicate with an internal electronic control unit, which is also supplied with information on the air flow in the outlet channel. The consumer control device can be operated according to a similarly proposed method, in that the consumer device in a normal operating phase is supplied with compressed air by the shut-off valve that is in the release position, which is regulated by a proportional pressure regulating valve adopting working mode at a working pressure value.