A method for power management at a network system, the network system comprising power nodes (106, 108), and a plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118) coupled to a Power Distribution Unit, PDU, and/or Mains Distribution Unit, MDU, (105A, 105B), and wherein the power nodes (106, 108) comprise a control node, the method comprising: configuring, at the control node of the power nodes (106, 108), a priority for the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118) of the network system connected to a gateway node based on a parameter, wherein the gateway node is the Power Distribution Unit, PDU, and/or Mains Distribution Unit, MDU, (105A, 105B) configured to support the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118); monitoring, at the control node, a current power state of the power node (106, 108), the power node (106, 108) being connected to the gateway node and configured to operate in a first or second mode of operation; wherein the current power state is at least one of: utility mains available, utility mains unavailable, and/or utility mains unreliable; suspending, after a grace period expires, at least one network node of the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118) when the current power state of the power node (106, 108) meets a first criteria and the configured priority of the at least one network node of the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118) meets a second criteria; characterising by querying, at set time intervals, network data at the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118); and assigning priority, at the PDU/MDU (105A, 105B), to the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118) based on results of deep packet inspection applied to each of the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118). configuring, at the control node of the power nodes (106, 108), a priority for the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118) of the network system connected to a gateway node based on a parameter, wherein the gateway node is the Power Distribution Unit, PDU, and/or Mains Distribution Unit, MDU, (105A, 105B) configured to support the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118); monitoring, at the control node, a current power state of the power node (106, 108), the power node (106, 108) being connected to the gateway node and configured to operate in a first or second mode of operation; wherein the current power state is at least one of: utility mains available, utility mains unavailable, and/or utility mains unreliable; suspending, after a grace period expires, at least one network node of the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118) when the current power state of the power node (106, 108) meets a first criteria and the configured priority of the at least one network node of the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118) meets a second criteria; characterising by querying, at set time intervals, network data at the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118); and assigning priority, at the PDU/MDU (105A, 105B), to the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118) based on results of deep packet inspection applied to each of the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118). querying, at set time intervals, network data at the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118); and assigning priority, at the PDU/MDU (105A, 105B), to the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118) based on results of deep packet inspection applied to each of the plurality of network nodes (102A, 102B, 104A, 118).