lower power usage?

I got a problem here.
In my house my family just got a ton of new computer systems. 6 desktops in total, with three of them being dual CPU systems that eat up a ton of electricity. One of those dual CPU systems is mine, and it probably uses up more power than any other system in the house.
The power bill just came in and it was around $400, so the computers can no longer be running all night downloading, but I also can't max out my torrents during the day cause people actully use the internet at my home.
Is there any way to lower power consumption and still download the torrents?

It's probably not your computers because I have two computers both with a core 2 duo and it runs at around 25W (idle) to 69W (when doing CPU intensive tasks). Where I live it costs 8.5c/kWh. I keep the computers on 24/7 and it usually costs me less than $5 for the entire month for each computer. My power bill is around $150, but that's for other reasons.

>>2
Same person. I meant to say 52W - 96W. First time I've ever accidentally flipped numbers.

>>2
Well, they are all workstation systems, this one being a dual Xeon on a tyan board.

The main reason why it looks to be the computers is that the power usage is over double from last year, and during the summer better thermostats were installed, so a lower power usage is expect, but we're getting more than double from last year.

Anyway, is there an easy way to monitor how much power my system is using?

Is there any reason why you can't just leave *one* computer running during the night? One computer (mostly) idling for 8 hours extra per day should not add a significant amount to your electricity bill.

>>5
Same person. Have you thought about picking up a cheap computer (or using an old computer) for downloads? Or even for general use? I don't know why you have 6 workstations for 'family computers', but even if you have a business or something that requires them, you could use a non-workstation computer with a C2D for most purposes and it would consume significantly less electricity.

All those computers just for torrenting?

Either you are connected to one fat pipe there, or you have severely misunderstood how things work...

try torrenting every second day? every third day? nothing is going happen just cause you don't have the latest warez

DUAL XEON ZOOMJ

VTEK JUST KICKED IN, YO

btw you are a tool

>>1
More energy efficient PSU's, chipsets, and processors. I beleive the assumption everyone is working on is that if you can afford multiple Tyan dual-xeon setups, and decided to buy them, your compliant about the high electricity bill is trite or simply ignorant (or both).

They aren't all on during the evening, and they weren't paid for either
My dad picks them up at work. They used to process MRI images, and when hospital upgrades the systems, he can take the old ones home for himself.
At the most we'd have two computers on at once running torrents

i agree with >>6.  a dual Xeon is way more power than you need to download a torrent, especially when you account for graphics cards and any other hardware you have attached.  just grab an old cheap (or free) computer, install linux on it, rip out everything except a network card and hard drive, and let it run headless for all time.

>>10
>>your compliant about the high electricity bill is trite or simply ignorant (or both)

Intelligent comments on my 4chan? What's this world coming to?