In one embodiment, a communication device of a communication network determines its available power level, and also estimates a power requirement to receive an expected transmission from a transmitter of the communication network. By determining whether the available power level is sufficient for the estimated power requirement, the device may correspondingly provide feedback to the transmitter regarding whether the available power level is sufficient for the estimated power requirement (e.g., if insufficient, either ignoring the transmission or returning an explicit reply). In another embodiment, further power conservation may be afforded through a radio-triggered wake-up mechanism.