Humidification apparatus for humidifying a gases flow to be supplied to a patient or other person in need of such gases comprising: humidification chamber means adapted to hold a quantity of water and having an inlet and an outlet to allow said gases flow to pass through said humidification chamber means, heating means provided adjacent said humidification chamber means and adapted to provide heat to said quantity of water in said humidification chamber means in order to provide water vapour to said gases flow passing through said humidification chamber means, said heating means utilising a measurable quantity of power; and gases transportation pathway means connected to said outlet of said humidification chamber means to convey said gases flow to said patient or other person in need of such gases, flow probe means adapted to sense the flow rate of said gases flow; and control means which receives input from said flow probe means and characterised by further storing a program which causes the control means to: i) calculate the power usage required of said heating means in order to humidify said gases flow to a predetermined humidification level at the gases flow rate sensed by said flow probe means, ii) determine the power presently being utilised by said heating means, and iii) supply said power usage required to humidify said gases flow to the predetermined humidification level to said heating means if the determined present power usage of said heating means is less than said power usage required to humidify said gases flow to the predetermined humidification level. humidification chamber means adapted to hold a quantity of water and having an inlet and an outlet to allow said gases flow to pass through said humidification chamber means, heating means provided adjacent said humidification chamber means and adapted to provide heat to said quantity of water in said humidification chamber means in order to provide water vapour to said gases flow passing through said humidification chamber means, said heating means utilising a measurable quantity of power; and gases transportation pathway means connected to said outlet of said humidification chamber means to convey said gases flow to said patient or other person in need of such gases, flow probe means adapted to sense the flow rate of said gases flow; and control means which receives input from said flow probe means and characterised by further storing a program which causes the control means to: i) calculate the power usage required of said heating means in order to humidify said gases flow to a predetermined humidification level at the gases flow rate sensed by said flow probe means, ii) determine the power presently being utilised by said heating means, and iii) supply said power usage required to humidify said gases flow to the predetermined humidification level to said heating means if the determined present power usage of said heating means is less than said power usage required to humidify said gases flow to the predetermined humidification level. i) calculate the power usage required of said heating means in order to humidify said gases flow to a predetermined humidification level at the gases flow rate sensed by said flow probe means, ii) determine the power presently being utilised by said heating means, and iii) supply said power usage required to humidify said gases flow to the predetermined humidification level to said heating means if the determined present power usage of said heating means is less than said power usage required to humidify said gases flow to the predetermined humidification level.