To reduce the electric power consumption required for printing of an image forming apparatus connected with a network as the whole network.

A first image forming apparatus 1 which can perform a print operation based on a print job received from either one of a first PC (personal computer) 4-a fourth PC 7 of external use through the network 8, when the print job is received under an energy saving condition (S1 and 2), asks other ones, a second image forming apparatus 2 and a third image forming apparatus 3 of the network 8 (S3), and based on the result of asking, such an image forming apparatus that can need less electric power consumption necessary for printing the print job from the network 8 than the own apparatus, is searched out (S4 and 5), and transfers the print job to the found out image forming apparatus to perform the print job (S6).